PHILADELPHIA – The City and CVS Health this week launched a series of COVID-19 vaccination clinics for thousands of City of Philadelphia employees. At the same time, the City and Jefferson Health have opened a separate clinic specifically to vaccinate City of Philadelphia sanitation workers.

“City employees have worked valiantly in the past year to maintain vital services to residents, often risking their own health,” said Mayor Kenney. “Feeding students and families, distributing PPE, opening parks and rec centers, and standing up new relief programs are just a few examples of the tremendous ways that City workers have supported residents during the past twelve months. I am pleased that after twelve months of their ceaseless dedication, we can provide vaccinations to ensure the health of our workforce, and to give them and their families peace of mind. I thank both CVS Health and Jefferson Health for stepping up and offering this crucial support.”

The CVS Health vaccination clinics for all city workers are taking place at three locations:

• The headquarters of Philadelphia Gas Works at 800 Montgomery Avenue in North Philadelphia
• The Gustine Recreation Center at 4868 Ridge Avenue in East Falls
• And on Saturdays at the Municipal Services Building in Center City.

The clinics are administering the Pfizer vaccine and thus are unaffected by the stoppage of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

“We’re proud to work alongside the City of Philadelphia to administer onsite clinics and accelerate the vaccination of city employees who’ve been critical to the support of millions of Philadelphians throughout the year-long pandemic,” said Sree Chaguturu, MD, Chief Medical Officer at CVS Caremark. “CVS Health has been a key partner in the nationwide administration of COVID-19 vaccinations through our pharmacies and local community presence, as well as through our Return Ready program to enable employers to safely and responsibly return their workforces to locations.  We look forward to bringing our expertise and operational experience to the city of Philadelphia.”

The clinics are by appointment only and are not open to the public. The clinics for first doses will operate throughout the month of April with daytime, evening, and weekend hours. Second dose clinics will begin the week of May 3. While these are the first City employee-specific clinics, many employees who were eligible in 1A and 1B, including members of the Police and Fire Departments, have been vaccinated through various other means.

“PGW is honored to actively participate in the City’s vaccination effort to help bring an end to the pandemic,” said Craig White, President and CEO of Philadelphia Gas Works. “Collectively, as employees that serve the City, we routinely work together on behalf of all Philadelphians to collaboratively address important challenges. That’s why in this moment, PGW is proud to host a vaccination site for City and PGW employees to get vaccinated and protect themselves, the communities, constituencies and customers we keep safe, and those we love and care for.”

Initial outreach is to any City of Philadelphia employee who was identified as being likely eligible to receive the vaccine in Phase 1A, 1B, or 1C through a workforce interest form. The goal is to ensure the vaccination to nearly 6,000 City employees who are interested in being vaccinated against COVID-19. Employees of PGW will also be eligible for vaccination at the PGW headquarters clinic.

A clinic run by Jefferson Health for front-line sanitation workers and other Streets Department employees launched this past week at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. Over 500 Streets employees have already signed up to be scheduled for vaccinations through Jefferson. Streets Department officials are coordinating with Jefferson as additional employees sign up for vaccinations going forward.

“We know that there are no universally effective treatments for COVID-19,” said Edmund Pribitkin, MD, MBA, Executive Vice President at Jefferson Health and President of the Jefferson Medical Group. “Our best strategy is prevention and our best tools are masks and vaccines. As we advance our mission of improving lives, we’re proud to partner with the city to provide its frontline workers with this life saving vaccine.”

“The Streets Department—sanitation employees in particular—provide vital services to the City,” said Streets Commissioner Carlton Williams. “As the safety and welfare of our employees is our top priority, we want to ensure they are protected as they continue to be on the front-line of the pandemic while still supporting their families and the city. We are grateful the city has prioritized sanitation employees to be vaccinated in the city’s first employee-specific clinic.”

Appointment information and hours of operation are being communicated directly to the sanitation workers. The clinic at the Convention Center is separate from the federally supported Type 1 clinic that has been operating at PCC.