County Extends Contract For Vaccination Clinic Operations Credit: Tom Sofield/LevittownNow.com
Bucks County will extend their contract with a Virginia company that has been running four of the county government’s mass vaccination clinics.
The Bucks County Commissioners on Wednesday unanimously approved a contract increase and extension with AMI Expeditionary Healthcare to continue their services from May 1 to July 31 for $12.5 million, which is funded through grants from the federal government. The previous agreement was set to expire at the end of the month.
The company has been running the county-supported mass vaccination clinics at the Bucks County Community College campuses in Bristol Township, Newtown Township, and just outside of Perkasie. They also run the site at the Neshaminy Mall in Bensalem Township.
Bucks County postpones Johnson & Johnson vaccine clinics through Saturday
Bucks County has postponed its Johnson & Johnson vaccine clinics in Warwick through Saturday.
The announcement late Wednesday night came after federal officials met to discuss reports of rare, but severe, blood clot side effects linked to the one-shot vaccine. No resolution came from the meeting, where it was disclosed that one of the women who experienced the issue was from the New Jersey-Pennsylvania area.
Bucks other clinics at Bucks County Community College s three campuses and the Neshaminy Mall continue. Those sites administer the Pfizer vaccine.
The Pennsylvania Department of Health on Tuesday ordered use of the J&J vaccine paused statewide as federal officials investigate the blood clotting reaction reported in six women from throughout the country.
College students should seek vaccinations before the current semester ends, said Acting Secretary of Education Noe Ortega. The COVID-19 vaccine will allow postsecondary institutions to provide more in-person learning and improve the safety of our campus communities for our students, faculty, and staff,” Ortega said.
The Chronicle for Higher Education maintains an updated list of school policies on vaccines.
So far, more than two dozen colleges and universities have issued vaccine mandates for students returning this fall. The list includes Cornell, Duke, Georgetown, Rutgers and Notre Dame yet no Pennsylvania institutions.
In Pennsylvania, Acting Physician General Dr. Denise Johnson has said that vaccinated students must still wear masks. “When fully vaccinated, students can travel home safely knowing they are armed with the best protection against this virus. Even when vaccinated, it is important to wear a mask, practice social distancing, and wash hands frequently,”
During the pandemic, the Internet has become a life-saver, keeping people safe from crowded supermarkets and department stores, while also providing access to remote learning, virtual doctor appointments and vaccination appointments.
But senior citizens who are not computer savvy and may not even own an electronic communication device have not had it so easy. In some cases, the pandemic has left those who aren t connected online more isolated than ever.
The Bucks County Area Agency on Aging has started a program called Senior Connect to help these seniors acquire the equipment and training they need to access vital internet services, using CARES Act funding to provide these services.