In Montco Visit, Gov. Wolf Praises County's 'Equitable' Vaccine Work

NORRISTOWN, PA — In a visit to Norristown on Wednesday afternoon, Gov. Tom Wolf lavished praise on the local COVID-19 response, specifically highlighting Montgomery County's work to equitably distribute the vaccine to underserved populations.

It was the latest stop in the governor's statewide tour highlighting the work of clinics and health systems to help promote the vaccine. It's part of a renewed push on the state and county level to reach the remaining unvaccinated portions of the population.

“Montgomery County leaders are doing an outstanding job of proactively reaching out to get Pennsylvanians, especially vulnerable populations, vaccinated against COVID-19,” Gov. Wolf said Wednesday.

The governor was joined Wednesday by Montgomery County Commissioners Val Arkoosh and Ken Lawrence at the Norristown Transportation Center. On Wednesdays, the site of a mobile vaccination clinic, a tool which the county has used since the spring to bring vaccines to the homebound and other vulnerable residents who would have trouble coming out to an established public clinic for their shots.

The mobile clinic is run by the county Department of Public Safety’s Mobile Integrated Health Team. It also visits area food pantries, homeless encampments, and other places in the community to offer both education on the vaccine and the actual shots.

“Our goals are to eliminate barriers to vaccination for underserved populations and to bring the safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine to individuals at a time and place that is convenient for them," Dr. Alvin Wang, the chief medical officer for the county's Department of Public Safety, said in a statement.

Gov. Wolf pointed to "insecure housing, unpredictable work schedules, and limited mobility" as risk factors which made this type of work so important.

With another surge of the virus ongoing, and the more contagious delta variant still sticking around, Montgomery County recently opened a new, fourth vaccine clinic at the King of Prussia Mall. They also expanded hours at their other clinics to make it as convenient as possible for the public.

The state and county have not always been aligned on vaccine distribution. When the rollout of doses was first beginning, Montgomery was among several counties in the southeastern part of the state that publicly voiced frustration over the share of vaccine they received and the obfuscated nature of the the state Department of Health's decision-making.

Whatever acrimony there was seemed to vanish with a successful summer of vaccinations and declining case rates. Montgomery County has continued its high vaccination rate into the fall, with 81 percent of all eligible residents 12 and older having received at least one dose, as of Wednesday.