Pa. officials look to ease residents COVID vaccine fears, as Philly officials worry about supply

New COVID-19 vaccine recommendations from Trump Administration as Pa. officials look to ease public concerns

Jeff Cole has details regarding the public's safety concerns and ways the Wolf Administration is seeking to ease those as Philadelphia officials raise the question of an adequate vaccine supply.

PHILADELPHIA - The Trump Administration is shifting gears and is now saying the government will no longer hold back required second doses of the two approved COVID-19 vaccines. They also recommend states should start vaccinating people 65 and older, along with younger people with health problems.

Some leaders, like Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf, are still trying to convince people to get vaccinated. And there are concerns about vaccine supplies.

"When it’s my turn, I’m going to get vaccinated. I look forward to that day and I’m going to encourage my family members, going to encourage all in Pennsylvania to do the same," Governor Wolf explained during a press briefing Tuesday.

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Gov. Wolf, his Health Secretary, Dr. Rachel Levine, and others tried to douse fears over the vaccine during Tuesday’s briefing.

Wolf argued the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines have been carefully tested and assured residents they can not contract COVID-19 from them.

Philadelphia’s Health Commissioner has the same concerns, but he wants to know how much vaccine the city will get next month.

"That uncertainty makes it very difficult for us to plan. Many people want to know when the vaccine will be available to them. It’s impossible for us to know when we don’t know how many doses we’re going to get," Health Commissioner Dr. Tom Farley explained.

Farley says the federal government has shipped just over 19,000 doses weekly to the city this month, but he’s received no word about February.

A big concern as cases rise with a death toll climbing beyond 2,600.

And, as Farley complains about uncertainty, a top federal health official says the government will push more vaccine to the states by no longer holding back second doses in federal warehouses.

Farley is not so sure about the plan.

"If we were to administer those doses to people with no guarantee what will arrive in the future, we may vaccinate the first dose and have nothing when they come back for the second dose," Farley added.

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