250,000 More Montco Residents Now Eligible For COVID-19 Vaccine

Justin Heinze
Updated ·2 min read

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, PA — As Montgomery County continues to wage the local front of the largest inoculation campaign in history, Pennsylvania has announced plans to expand the phase 1A priority group to include anyone over the age of 65.

Under these new guidelines, which also now include anyone with serious underlying medical conditions between the ages of 16 and 64, there are 250,000 additional Montgomery County residents eligible for 1A.

“We agree that the COVID-19 vaccine should be provided in a way that is ethical, equitable, and efficient," Montgomery County Commissioner Val Arkoosh said on Tuesday. "We continue to ask for people's patience as our supply of vaccine is extremely limited."

The county is now receiving 5,000 vaccines a day, Arkoosh added, and is vaccinating all healthcare workers and those in the above categories at the Montgomery County Community College clinic in Blue Bell.

RELATED: PA Expands COVID Vaccine Eligibility To 65+, High-Risk Residents

But at the current rate, it could take more than a year to vaccinate all of 1A, Arkoosh warned. Authorities are thus hoping that much greater quantities of vaccine become available sooner.

Thus far, there have been 24,952 partial doses of the vaccine administered to Montgomery County residents, while another 3,772 have received the full two doses, according to the state's COVID-19 Dashboard.

It still remains unclear when the 1B and 1C phases of vaccine rollout will begin in Pennsylvania. Montgomery County officials have expressed hopes in the past that it could happen by the end of January, but Arkoosh seemed to pour cold water on that idea Wednesday. Timelines are muddied by a lack of clarity regarding future shipments, and are dependent upon the federal government and pharmaceutical manufacturers.

RELATED: Montco COVID Vaccine Updates: How Many In Next Priority Groups

After the additional 250,000 residents, as well as any other healthcare workers that have not yet been vaccinated, phases 1B and 1C are also crowded in the county. There are some 16,598 teachers and essential school staff, and 1,400 police officers.

Individuals in 1B and 1C can pre-register for an appointment to be vaccinated at the Montgomery County website. Registration for 1A is available at the same link.

This article originally appeared on the Norristown Patch