Bucks, Delco, Chester and Montco leaders continue effort to get more vaccines into their counties
WOODLYNNE, Pa. - Leaders in Philadelphia’s surrounding counties continue to feel frustration, wanting to know why so many are still waiting for their coronavirus vaccines. Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery County leaders continue to seek answers and results from the commonwealth.
A recent breast cancer survivor and heart patient, 68-year-old Toni Melagrano says her days are nothing more than doctor appointments and that has to do with the lack of a COVID-19 vaccine, despite doing everything she can to get one.
"I don’t go anywhere, but doctor visits. I’m signed up on every site possible," Melagrano stated.
Melagrano is among hundreds of thousands eligible in group 1A, but still waiting in line waiting across Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery Counties.
Despite a phone call with the Pennsylvania Department of Health and a joint letter sent to the acting health secretary, all four county leaders say concerns the commonwealth shortchanged them doses still hasn’t been addressed with solutions.
"If they have the data to support their distribution allocation, why won’t they share it with us?" asked Chair of the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners Dr. Valerie Arkoosh.
Speaking on FOX 29’s Good Day Tuesday morning, Dr. Arkoosh said they simply want the numbers supporting the commonwealth’s claim that all four counties fall in line with Pa.’s vaccination rate of 15 percent and assurance other counties won’t move towards vaccinating 1B if they don’t have the shots to finish 1A.
"I would like Governor Wolf to get personally engaged in this, if he isn’t already, and he may be, but if he’s not, the time is today," Dr. Arkoosh remarked.
FOX 29 pressed Governor Wolf for a response. In a statement, his press secretary said, in part:
"County leaders crying foul is counterproductive and, frankly, furthering misinformation and rumor-mongering. The reality is shots are getting into arms and the counties with the loudest complaints are vaccinating at a rate about the state average."
State Representative Mike Zabel says that’s a problem.
"Vaccination rate - people in Delaware County are going to Scranton or Berks or somewhere else to find it. I mean, that’s a common occurrence over here and that shouldn’t have to be," Zabel explained.
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