Pa. teachers could move to vaccine's phase 1A distribution, task force says

Discussions are in progress in Pennsylvania’s General Assembly to possibly move teachers to phase 1A of the state’s vaccine rollout.

State Rep. Tim O’Neal, R-Washington, sent an email Sunday alerting House GOP members of the possibility, according to WPXI. He explained that the National Guard would be involved in the distribution process.

According to the email, shared with the Tribune-Review, the change would be made possible by the Johnson & Johnson vaccine’s emergency use authorization by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The commonwealth is expected to get an initial shipment of 94,000 doses of the new vaccine this week, the email said.

O’Neal is a member of the bipartisan covid-19 task force established last month to improve the state’s vaccine rollout efforts. No final decision has been made, however, which would come from Gov. Tom Wolf.

Tracy Polovick, a spokeswoman for the House GOP, confirmed there have been discussions among task force members about moving teachers up the list. She referred the Tribune-Review to the governor’s office for further comment.

Wolf’s office did not answer questions about the potential change.

“The task force continues to work on a plan for the rollout of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine,” Wolf spokeswoman Lyndsay Kensinger said. “The administration hopes to announce specific details later this week.”

A bill introduced by O’Neal was recently passed in the state Senate, agreeing to deploy the National Guard to assist with the state’s vaccine rollout. The Guard would be deployed within 45 days of the bill becoming law.

Educators and local officials, meanwhile, have rallied for teachers to move up on the vaccine eligibility as a way to speed along school reopening. Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto sent a letter to Wolf last month urging him to prioritize teachers and offered spaces and services of Pittsburgh infrastructure to assist in administering doses.

“Promoting vaccines for teachers would help to speed up the safe return to school, would ensure that all students receive the focused academic support that they need to succeed and would be aligned with your administration’s commitment to an equitable response to the pandemic,” Peduto said.

Teachers unions, including the Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers, have said in the past they’ve gotten little information about when they should expect vaccine.

School employees have been part of the 1B group, or the second stage, of Pennsylvania’s vaccination plan. The state remains in Phase 1A, which initially included first responders, medical workers and nursing home residents.

Some pharmacies that had extra doses after administering vaccines to people in the 1A category were allowed to move on to phase 1B, according to the state Department of Health.

Several school districts across Westmoreland County were able to get teachers and other staff members vaccinated through that loophole. Those include Greater Latrobe, Ligonier Valley and Mt. Pleasant Area, though some with restrictions for employees who qualified under 1A qualifications.

Up to this point, vaccine supply has remained limited, and there are still millions of people already in Phase 1A who have struggled to gain access. When discussing the possibility of moving to Phase 1B last week, Health Secretary Alison Beam said the state wants to be sure there is enough vaccine for everyone before moving forward.

“We want to make sure that when we actually transition into Phase 1B, which is so many valuable workers that have really shown tremendous dedication to our communities throughout this entire covid response, that they’re actually able to access a covid vaccine,” Beam said Feb. 23.