FEMA To Open Mass Vaccination Site In Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA — A federally-run mass coronavirus vaccination site will be up and running in Philadelphia next month, according to officials.

FEMA Friday announced it will operate a mass vaccination site at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, a familiar location for vaccine distribution in the city.

The site is expected to open around March 3, but final details have not been set.

Philadelphia Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley said during a news conference Friday that despite the announcement much work needs to be done to prepare the site.

The site will be staffed by FEMA, the CDC, and federal Department of Health and Human Services workers.

Analysis of Social Vulnerability Index and other Census data, as well as state and local input, led officials to choose the convention center, in addition to other aspects.

Officials said it was the Pennsylvania Convention Center’s central location, accessibility by public transportation, logistics capability, large size, and existing city contracts in support of vaccination operations that led to it being chosen as the first federally operated site in Pennsylvania.

According to Farley, the center is a Type 1 site, meaning it can handle 6,000 vaccination patients daily.

The center can handle many people for vaccination, as indicated through past clinics run by Philly Fighting COVID and the city.

"Our three goals for distributing vaccine have always been: do it fast, do it so it saves the most lives, and do it equitably," Farley said. "With FEMA agreeing to support a Vaccination Center in Philadelphia, we can administer vaccines faster, and by holding it at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, in a central location near multiple public transit lines, we can ensure that many of our highest risk residents and people of all backgrounds can get easy, equitable access."

As of Friday, 164,728 people in Philadelphia have received the first dose of the vaccine and 82,439 have been fully vaccinated.

The Philadelphia site could have a vaccination throughput of several thousand doses per day once at maximum operating capacity and would come with its own vaccination allocation, in addition to what the City of Philadelphia already receives, according to FEMA.

FEMA said in its announcement that ensuring vulnerable and under-served populations have access to vaccines was a priority in the site selection process.

Mayor Jim Kenney said he is excited to see the federal government take a hands-on approach to vaccination efforts in the city.

"We look forward to seeing this COVID-19 Vaccination Center join our system of vaccine distribution channels which includes community clinics, hospitals, neighborhood-based health centers, pharmacies, mobile sites and more," he said. "It’s a key step to recovery and getting our city that much closer back to normal. We're looking forward to getting past COVID-19 and these historic challenges, together."

FEMA is working with Pennsylvania officials to assess other potential federally supported vaccination sites in the state.