COVID In Philadelphia: FEMA-Run Pennsylvania Convention Center Vaccination Site Extended For Additional 4 Weeks
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The mass COVID-19 vaccination site run by FEMA at the Pennsylvania Convention Center has been extended for another month. Officials said Wednesday the vaccination clinic will operate an additional four weeks through Wednesday, May 26.
This comes after the U.S Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Food and Drug Administration recommended pausing the use of the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
The FEMA site will be moving to a Pfizer vaccination site.
City officials said they expect to receive 84,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine on April 19. According to the city, those doses be administered as first doses through May 5. Then, the city said, another 84,000 doses will be available for second doses from May 6 through May 26.
Meanwhile, the city is offering walk-up appointments until 5 p.m. Wednesday at the FEMA site. Anyone who's eligible for a vaccine in the city can get a Pfizer shot without an appointment.
Philadelphia also announced 1,077 additional COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, bringing the citywide total to 131,194. The city announced nine more COVID-19 deaths, bringing the citywide total to 3,350 -- 1,183 of which were long-term care facility residents, the city said.
Earlier this week, Philadelphia Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley received his first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
"This epidemic has been terrible for everyone's mental health," Farley said in a video posted to YouTube by the city. "We've been separated off from the people we know, and we love. Humans are not meant to be like that, alone. We are social animals. Tough for everybody."
"I've gone to many of these clinics now around the city where different organizations are vaccinating people, and each one of them, it's an emotional high for people there. People are so excited to come in. For some people, it's freedom," Farley added. "I went to one clinic a couple of months ago and there was a 90-year-old couple. They had not left their home for a year, have not crossed the threshold of their home for one year, and they had tears in their eyes when they got vaccinated. They're not the only ones who are like that. It's a moment of excitement for everybody. I'm glad to be finally part of it. I'll just say this, I woke up this morning and say, today's the day I'm going to get my vaccine."
According to city data, as of Tuesday, 19% of Philadelphia residents are fully vaccinated and 28% have received at least one dose.
