PENNSYLVANIA, USA — The state's health officials are laying out their plan to vaccinate teachers across the Commonwealth.
Governor Wolf announced that the new Johnson and Johnson vaccine will go to teachers and school staff.
The secretary of health added that while the state is getting 124,000 doses of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine to start, it could be a few weeks before it gets a second shipment of that vaccine.
"It's our understanding that we will have this initial tranch of J and J vaccine distributed to Pennsylvania which will, unfortunately, be followed two week where that will dip and actually we may receive zero J and J shots but then by the end of the month it's our understanding that commitment will not only be reestablished but could even exceed what we receive this week," said Alison Beam, Acting Secretary of Health.
The Department of Health says child care workers will also be eligible for this one-shot vaccine.
The state's intermediate education units will vaccinate teachers and school staff.
Rite Aid, Walmart, and Topco pharmacies will vaccinate childcare workers.
That news of the shot was good news to Ebony Sewell, who works at Little Big Thinkers Learning Center in Edwardsville. She says she'll "step right up" to get the vaccine.
"Yeah, I will. I always said I would. If people like you're crazy, I'm like, No, I'm not. I mean, I took the flu shot," Sewell said. "So I mean, I mean I think I think we should, I think we really should give it a chance at least, I mean, what's the worst that could happen."
The state said in our area, both Rite Aid and Walmart pharmacies will vaccinate childcare workers like Sewell and be handling outreach to set up an appointment.
"So what we're going to be able to do in close partnership with them is give them contact information for them for licensed childcare facilities, those partners will reach out to childcare workers to tell them when they and their staff can come in to get vaccinated," Beam said.
Sewell says children here are doing well with masking and washing their hands, but the vaccine will give her peace of mind.
"Especially with the little kids because, you know, we're not always with them 24 seven. So we leave and go home. You never know who you're around that could be in contact with COVID think is really important to healthcare workers and teachers everybody I think you should get it's very important," she said.
When it becomes available, nearly 200,000 people in education will be eligible for the Johnson and Johnson shot.