Discussions ongoing where PEMA vaccination sites will be located in Philly suburbs

The state still has to decide where they are putting some suburban vaccination sites. A department of health spokesperson says discussions are ongoing but they hope to start vaccinating at these sites no later than mid-April

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Pa. - The state still has to decide where they are putting some suburban vaccination sites. A department of health spokesperson says discussions are ongoing but they hope to start vaccinating at these sites no later than mid-April.

It's something that has some people in this area feeling hopeful, but leaders in the four counties still aren't fully behind this.

Bob Rolle and his son Trent walk into the Montgomery Mall to shop but in a month they could be here to get a vaccine.

County leaders say they submitted this location to the state as their choice for a mass vaccine site, run by PEMA for Bucks and Montgomery counties. Cheser and Delaware counties chose Cheyney University.

"A lot of people can come here from close towns. I think it's a good idea," Trent said.

Some county leaders still don't think that's the case.

Their location choices reluctantly come after trying to push the state department of health last week to just give them the Johnson & Johnson doses instead as each of the counties already have multiple clinics ready to vaccinate thousands.

They also challenged the state's initial plan for just one mass site for all four counties.

Bucks County commissioner Bob Harvie says two is a step forward. and he did learn PEMA plans to use the counties' waiting lists for appointments, not start their own list but that's about it.

"They more so gave us an ultimatum and this is what we had to go with. We would much rather, much prefer to have the doses in our hands," he said.

Commissioner Harvie says Bucks received about the same amount of doses of Pfizer and Moderna this week as last. He adds the state told to expect that amount or less for the next few weeks.

That news came as the state announced they cut the number of providers from 600 to 300.

Harvie says two of Bucks County's six hospitals didn't make the cut — Grand View and Lower Bucks hospitals — despite working hard to vaccinate their communities.

"You could call them neighborhood hospitals which some of our other hospitals really aren't so it was really disappointing to us that those hospitals were left off the list and we don't know why," Harvie said.