Pennsylvanians who have grown frustrated about navigating the stateâs decentralized system in search of the COVID-19 vaccine could have an alternative.
A new bill introduced Monday in the state House of Representatives seeks to create a centralized COVID-19 vaccination registry for people who want to get the vaccine.
The âCOVID-19 Vaccine Registry Actâ would require the Pennsylvania Department of Health to maintain a database where residents could schedule a vaccine appointment for themselves, their spouses or significant others, and their families.
Vaccine providers would be required access the registry and prioritize registrants for scheduling appointments, which would prevent people from spending hours trying to find and sign up for available appointments.
DOH discusses vaccine error heraldstandard.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from heraldstandard.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Waynesburg University nursing students and the Department of Nursing staff are volunteering to help Washington Health System administer COVID-19 vaccines.
WHS is turning to the student nurses and faculty to help staff its vaccination sites in an effort to bolster the demand for qualified health professionals needed as the health systemâs nurses continue to care for COVID-19 patients.
âWe are beyond grateful for the service and health care that WHS frontline staff has been providing throughout the coronavirus pandemic. It has been a long road for them, and we are glad our nursing students and faculty can help alleviate the additional workload of manning vaccination sites,â said Stacey Brodak, vice president for Institutional Advancement and University Relations at Waynesburg University.
As the demand for the COVID-19 vaccine continues to far outpace the supply, frustrated Pennsylvanians are traveling across county and state lines to get vaccinated.
Called vaccine tourism, the trend is growing across the United States, where each state has its own rules to determine who can get a vaccine.
The Pennsylvania Department of Health said the commonwealth has no state residency restrictions on vaccinations.
âAt this point, Pennsylvania does not prohibit anybody from going to another state and getting a vaccine, but other states are saying we donât want you to come here for the purposes of getting a vaccine,â Gov. Tom Wolf said at a COVID-19 update last week.
School districts in Washington and Greene counties are working to vaccinate their teachers and other school staff, but it s unclear when enough COVID-19 doses will be available.