If there’s one thing that everyone can agree on, it’s that we want more people in Philadelphia vaccinated against COVID-19, as soon as possible.

We know this process has been confusing and frustrating for many. Here are some answers to questions you may have about Philadelphia’s vaccine distribution.

Why is it taking so long for Philadelphians to get vaccinated?

The short answer: vaccine supply. The top issue that’s slowing everything down is how many vaccines are available and being delivered into Philadelphia. We simply are not getting enough vaccine supply to meet the demand.

Through February 2021, we are only receiving about 25,000 doses of first-dose vaccine. We’re getting a similar amount for second-dose shots, but we’re saving them so people don’t have to scramble to try to find the second dose. Meanwhile, there are hundreds of thousands of Philadelphians who are ready to get the vaccine, but we don’t have the supply. 

This same situation is playing out across the country. While it may seem like the effort is going slowly, Philadelphia is among the leaders in vaccine distribution. According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, as of January 27, only three other cities have administered more doses of COVID-19 vaccine per capita.

However, if we continue to only receive about 25,000 doses a week, in a city of 1.5 million people, it will take about 60 weeks for everyone to get their vaccine. 

We’re hopeful that the federal government will be able to increase our allotment of vaccine supply in the coming months. We’re excited to hear about new vaccines coming onto the market, and we’re happy to hear about innovations and investments in vaccine manufacturing. As soon as those things are ready and safe, we’ll use them to get more people vaccinated, as soon as possible.

If you’re frustrated, we get it. We are too.  

Why are we splitting up residents into phases to receive the vaccine?

The Health Department follows three principles to drive Philadelphia’s vaccine distribution plan:

• Do it fast.
• Do it in the way that will save the most lives.
• Do it equitably.

Our Vaccine Advisory Committee developed a prioritization scheme that recommends who should get the vaccine in Phase 1A, Phase 1B, and so on. The people at the very top of the list, in Phase 1A, are those with the highest risk of being diagnosed with the virus, and those who are the most likely to end up in the hospital or die from COVID. We determined this likelihood based on who got sick, ended up in the hospital, or died this past year. 

We know that if we made the vaccine available on a first-come, first-serve basis, our distribution would move quicker and folks might feel like they’re able to receive their vaccine sooner; however, doing it that way would likely mean that people who have the most means to get the vaccine and are at the lowest risk would get it first. Our focus is making sure we save as many lives as possible, and that means prioritizing who receives the vaccine first.

When will I be able to get my vaccine?

Unfortunately, we can’t give you a definitive timeline of when you will receive your vaccine. Anyone who wants a vaccine will be able to get one, but our ability to give residents a firm timeframe is based on many ever-changing factors. 

The two biggest reasons why we can’t give you a timeframe are:

• Vaccine supply – The supply of vaccine provided to us by the federal government may continue to change week to week. This makes it extremely difficult for us to determine when we will have the supply for residents in a certain phase to be vaccinated.
• How many people in a phase choose to get the vaccine – Residents have the ability to choose whether or not they want to receive the vaccine. This means that although we may be aware of about how many residents are eligible to receive the vaccine through an employer or healthcare system, not all residents will choose to receive it. Although vaccine appointment registration links are supposed to be private, we know some people are forwarding these links to family and friends who are not eligible to receive the vaccine yet. This takes vaccine supply away from those who need it most and makes it difficult for us to determine when we will be able to expand vaccination to the next priority phase.

How are people getting vaccinated?

Because of our short supply of vaccines and our focus on vaccinating the highest-risk people first, everyone who is currently eligible and wants to get the vaccine has to get an appointment with an approved vaccine provider. 

There are dozens of locations in Philadelphia giving out the vaccine, and we’re working to find more places and partners that can give out the vaccine; places that are right in your neighborhood: pharmacies, community clinics, even mass vaccine clinics. This will help us be prepared to distribute the vaccine on a larger scale once we receive increased supplies and can begin vaccinating more residents in Phase 1B and so on.

We want to get everyone vaccinated, and we’re working hard to do that, with new clinics opening every week. 

What can I do now if I want the vaccine?

If you haven’t already, you should submit your interest in receiving the vaccine through the City of Philadelphia COVID Vaccine Interest Form; available in English and Spanish. The Health Department is working to send confirmation emails, but they are not currently being sent. 

Once you submit the form, the Health Department will notify you when the vaccine becomes available to you. To be clear, we will not contact you until we are vaccinating residents in your priority phase AND we know we have vaccine supply for you.

If you do not have internet access, an email address, or need help filling out the online form, please call the Health Department’s COVID-19 call center at 215-685-5488. Assistance is available in many languages. 

The COVID-19 Call Center is available seven days a week: 

• Monday – Friday: 8:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
• Saturday – Sunday: 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.