Free COVID Vaccines, Testing Coming To PA Schools: What To Know

PENNSYLVANIA — As part of its ongoing effort to improve vaccination numbers statewide, Pennsylvania announced it will directly support free testing and COVID immunizations in schools.

The move comes ahead of the 2021-22 school year, amid concerns over the more contagious delta variant and the sudden surge in new cases of the virus over the last several weeks.

Officials reiterated that the state needs to be proactive to mitigate the virus and keep children in schools.

“A priority of the Wolf Administration is to have and maintain in-person instruction, sports programs, and other extra-curricular activities at schools,” Acting Secretary of Health Alison Beam said in a statement. “Unfortunately, we continue to see predominately unvaccinated Pennsylvanians infected with multiple variants of COVID-19, including the highly contagious delta variant."

The state is partnering with a private healthcare company, Concentric by Ginkgo Bioworks, on an $87 million contract to provide the testing through next spring.

The state is not mandating the testing for school districts. Rather, individual districts can choose to receive the Ginkgo service. Testing will be performed weekly via nasal swabs from "all consenting individuals in a classroom." For young children, parents must first give consent.
Test results will be back within one to two days.

Beam noted that testing is particularly important in elementary school environments because children under the age of 12 cannot yet receive the vaccine.

"It is imperative that students, educators, and staff who feel they need or want a test, especially if they think they have been exposed to COVID-19 or are experiencing symptoms, have access to free COVID-19 testing," she added.

Vaccine providers, meanwhile, will coordinate directly with K-12 school districts and higher education institutions to offer clinics.

The effort is being funded federally through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Nearly $338 million has been allocated to the state (and $12 billion nationwide) for testing and vaccinations in schools.

Philadelphia is exempt from this program because the Philadelphia Department of Public Health receives its own federal funding, the state noted.