Governor Wolf today visited the COVID-19 drive-thru mass vaccination clinic for Dauphin County residents at Harrisburg Area Community College. The drive-thru clinic was developed in partnership with UPMC Pinnacle and Dauphin County. He was joined by UPMC Pinnacle President Phil Guarneschelli and Dauphin County Commissioners Mike Pries and George P. Hartwick III.
“We continue to make great strides in administering vaccinations in Pennsylvania. Sites like this mass vaccination clinic are able to vaccinate a thousand individuals in one day, ensuring we meet our goals of swiftly and safely getting vaccines into the arms of Pennsylvanians,” said Gov. Wolf. “As the vaccine supply grows, we will continue to expand our distribution of vaccine throughout the commonwealth.”
Pennsylvania is committed to a vaccine distribution that is efficient, effective and equitable. The commonwealth has worked closely with vaccine providers to ensure that those who have had success administering vaccines, like UPMC Pinnacle, have an adequate portion of Pennsylvania’s supply. According to the CDC, as of Tuesday morning, March 30, Pennsylvania is ranked 12th in the country in terms of percentage of population that has received at least one dose.
“UPMC is proud to play a leading part in distributing and administering COVID-19 vaccines, efficiently, equitably, and safely. This drive through clinic in partnership with Dauphin County and Harrisburg Area Community College enables us to safely increase the number of people we can vaccinate, while being more accessible for those with mobility issues, and supporting physical distancing,” said Philip Guarneschelli, FACHE, president, UPMC Pinnacle.
During the first week of vaccinations the clinic administered more than 1,400 vaccines. This week, it anticipates nearly doubling its vaccinations over three days. All second dose appointments are issued during the first vaccination appointment. Beginning the week of April 19, the clinic is set to begin vaccinating both first and second vaccinations as scheduled.
“This vaccination clinic represents a beacon of hope for Dauphin County – a realization that we can move past this unprecedented pandemic,” Dauphin County Commissioner Mike Pries said. “We take great pride in this collaboration to get the vaccine into arms on such a large scale.”
“After months of planning and times when it seemed the path was long and grueling, we are getting hundreds of people vaccinated every day – and we expect those numbers to keep climbing,” Dauphin County Commissioner George P. Hartwick III said. “The emotions and satisfaction of those vaccinated are testaments to all the hard work that went into opening the clinic.”
The clinic currently vaccinates eligible Dauphin, Cumberland, and Perry County residents in Phase 1A. Individuals must schedule appointments online through the UPMC Pinnacle vaccine website. For individuals in need of public transportation, Capital Area Transit and rabbittransit offer free shared ride transportation to scheduled vaccination appointments.
“I want to thank the dedicated staff working here and everyone who had a hand in getting this site up and running,” said. Gov. Wolf. “Your efforts to protect your fellow Pennsylvanians are saving lives and making our communities safer. Large-capacity sites like this one are another great tool in our toolbox as we work to vaccinate Pennsylvanians as quickly as the federal vaccine supply will allow.”