Governor Tom Wolf today visited Montgomery County Department of Public Safety’s Mobile Integrated Health Team to highlight their grassroots efforts to get vulnerable Pennsylvanians vaccinated.
“Montgomery County leaders are doing an outstanding job of proactively reaching out to get Pennsylvanians, especially vulnerable populations, vaccinated against COVID-19,” said Gov. Wolf. “From the beginning of our vaccination efforts, my administration has been focused on an equitable vaccine distribution. We know that this deadly virus doesn’t discriminate so we must ensure adequate vaccine access for people who are experiencing hardships like insecure housing, unpredictable work schedules and limited mobility. That’s why it’s so important to take vaccine clinics into communities and places Pennsylvanians go every day.”
Gov. Wolf was joined by Montgomery County Commissioners Val Arkoosh and Ken Lawrence and Dr. Alvin Wang, chief medical officer for the Montgomery County Department of Public Safety.
In March 2021, Montgomery County’s Office of Public Safety launched a mobile vaccine clinic to reach elderly individuals unable to attend county mass vaccination clinics and has now adapted to reach other vulnerable populations in the county. On Wednesdays, the county Department of Public Safety’s Mobile Integrated Health Team can be found at the Norristown Transportation Center, local food pantries, and visiting encampments in the community educating individuals on the benefits of getting vaccinated and ultimately administering COVID-19 vaccines to community members.
“On behalf of the Department of Public Safety and our Mobile Integrated Health Team, I’d like to thank Governor Wolf for his support of our COVID-19 vaccination efforts here in Montgomery County,” said Dr. Alvin Wang, Chief Medical Officer for the Montgomery County Department of Public Safety. “Our goals are to eliminate barriers to vaccination for underserved populations and to bring the safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine to individuals at a time and place that is convenient for them. By ensuring equitable access to the vaccine, we can prevent unnecessary hospitalizations and deaths among our most vulnerable residents.”
“Working together with partners across our community to provide factual information about the safety and effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccine and to make it convenient to obtain, I am extremely proud to report that more than 81% of Montgomery County residents aged 12 and older have received at least one dose of the vaccine,” said Dr. Valerie A. Arkoosh, Chair of the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners. “While this is excellent progress, we still have a ways to go to fully protect our community. Given the large number of children who are not eligible to be vaccinated, we need as many of those who are 12 years of age and older as possible to get vaccinated. Receiving the COVID-19 vaccine is quick, easy, and is offered at no cost to our residents. We encourage anyone who is eligible to get vaccinated today.”
“From the beginning of the vaccine rollout, we held clinics at local churches, supported vaccination efforts with the Community College, and today we are here to highlight the efforts of the Mobile Integrated Health Team to reach people who are unhoused or homebound,” said Kenneth E. Lawrence, Jr., Vice Chair of the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners “We would not have been able to achieve such a high vaccination rate in our County if it weren’t for the partnerships we have forged on the ground with community-based organizations, I thank them for their continued partnership.”
“Getting every eligible Pennsylvanian vaccinated is our goal,” said Gov. Wolf. “It’s innovative work and partnerships like this that are helping us reach that goal, one step at a time. I encourage all Pennsylvanians who haven’t been vaccinated to take advantage of these local vaccination opportunities or visit a local vaccine provider near you. By getting vaccinated, you can save lives.”
The Pennsylvania Department of Health recently announced that, since January 2021, 97 percent of COVID-19-related deaths and 95 percent of reported hospitalizations due to COVID-19 were in unvaccinated or not fully vaccinated people.
To find local vaccine clinics near you, visit vaccines.gov.