Montco's COVID-19 Vaccine Progress: 5,000 Doses Administered

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, PA — Montgomery County has seen more than 5,000 individuals receive partial doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, as the first phase of the historic inoculation campaign gets underway across Pennsylvania.

These doses are exclusively for frontline healthcare workers, EMS first responders, and vulnerable populations in long term care facilities. There remains a long road ahead for individuals not in this first priority phase, as millions of Pennsylvanians wait their turn.

"In just a few short months, there will be a safe and effective vaccine available for our entire community," Montgomery County Commissioner Val Arkoosh said Tuesday.

Statewide, 96,045 doses have been administered as of Wednesday. All of these early administrations are "partial," meaning that a second dose is needed to complete the vaccination.

Montgomery County has seen more vaccinations thus far than almost any other county in Pennsylvania. It's 5,359 doses trail only Allegheny County, which has administered 9,948, according to the Department of State's newly launched COVID-19 dashboard.

That's at least part in due to the sheer number of hospitals in Montgomery County, and the densely populated areas which rely on these hospitals, pharmacies, and healthcare facilities. Local officials have said in the past that many residents from Philadelphia, Chester, Delaware, and Bucks utilize Montgomery County hospitals, because they're located near the county border.

There's also the simple matter of equipment: hospitals were prioritized to receive shipments of the Pfizer vaccine based on their ability to handle its ultra-cold storage requirements.

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Of those 5,000 plus doses, more than 400 doses of vaccine have been distributed to first responder emergency medical service workers, Arkoosh said. Paramedics from Narberth Ambulance and Second Alarmer's Association and Rescue Squad were the first in the county to receive it.

"As we receive additional supply from vaccine manufacturers, we will provide doses to other critical employees, such as home care workers, community-based doctors and providers, grocery store workers, teachers, police officers, and firefighters," Arkoosh added.

Montgomery County, like the rest of Pennsylvania, has seen its COVID-19 numbers improve in recent weeks, with notable drops in case numbers, percent positivity rate, and hospitalizations.