Pa. has administered more than 1 million vaccine doses

The Pennsylvania Department of Health announced Monday that more than 1 million doses of covid-19 vaccine have been administered throughout the state.

There are 811,555 Pennsylvania residents who have received the vaccine. Of them, 615,085 have received one dose and are partially covered. The other 196,470 are fully covered with two doses (a total of 392,940 doses). The exact figure of doses given is 1,008,025.

Philadelphia is not included in the figures because it receives independent federal funding and established its own vaccine administration plan. In addition, doses administered at federal facilities are not included.

A Department of Health spokeswoman said last week that Pennsylvania’s vaccine allocation from the federal government is expected to increase this week, though not enough to inoculate all who are eligible in Phase 1A.

In a call with reporters, spokeswoman April Hutcheson emphasized that the number of doses given differs from the number of people fully vaccinated, and the allocation increase refers specifically to first doses. The allocation will increase from about 140,000 doses a week to 160,000. State officials on Monday predicted that, by Feb. 6, a total of more than 2 million doses will have been allocated to providers.

Pennsylvania’s vaccine rollout has been fraught with confusion and inconsistencies, with reports of health care workers and many others in priority groups having difficulty making vaccine appointments and obtaining their first dose. Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle have called for greater transparency and communication in the process, and many have suggested a centralized system to eliminate confusion. The state House of Representative’s Health Committee will hold a hearing this Wednesday to examine “lagging” distribution.

Monday’s announcement about the administration of 1 million doses came as the state’s daily report of positive cases showed a steady decline over the past two weeks. On Monday, the state reported an additional 6,839 positive cases over the two-day period including Sunday. That’s 13.5% fewer cases than one week ago (7,910), and 27% fewer than two weeks ago (9,386). There are 3,370 people hospitalized with covid-19, 695 of whom are receiving intensive care.