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Pennsylvania House of Representatives
07/19/2024 02:01 AM
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/Legis/CSM/showMemoPublic.cfm?SPick=20210&chamber=H&cosponId=34943
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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda

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House of Representatives
Session of 2021 - 2022 Regular Session

MEMORANDUM

Posted: March 5, 2021 08:48 AM
From: Representative Frank A. Farry and Rep. Shelby Labs, Rep. F. Todd Polinchock, Rep. Meghan Schroeder, Rep. Craig T. Staats, Rep. Wendi Thomas, Rep. Kathleen C. Tomlinson
To: All House members
Subject: COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution
 
We are introducing legislation that would require the vaccine distribution being coordinated by the Department of Health to follow the population of the county.  It has become apparent that the current system the Department of Health is using has significantly disadvantaged counties with larger populations.  It is illogical that these larger counties, with significant spread of COVID-19, are being statistically underserved.  The vaccines that are being distributed directly by the federal government through the Retail Pharmacy Partnership and the Federal Pharmacy Partnership will not be impacted by this legislation.

Additionally, our legislation will require the Department of Health to distribute the vaccine to those counties who have received significantly less vaccine based on population until such time as the vaccine is equally distributed across the Commonwealth based on population.  This catch-up phase will allow these dense population counties to catch up on vaccinating their population prior to moving to new phases as other counties are soon ready to do.

Finally, the legislation will also direct all vaccine doses to be sent to the county board or department of health in those counties who have a local board or department of health.  This will allow the county to then distribute the vaccine to the locations needed in the county rather than the Department of Health picking the location to distribute the vaccine.  The counties are better prepared to mobile these vaccines based on the uniqueness of the county.

A recent analysis of the state Department of Health statistics by the Philadelphia Inquirer revealed significant vaccine allocation disparities.  Please join us is cosponsoring this legislation to bring fairness to COVID-19 vaccine distribution.   
 


Introduced as HB756