Included in this email:
- Distribution of the vaccine
- How do you get the vaccine?
- Can you require employees to get the vaccine?
- What to expect after getting the vaccine
- Vaccine FAQs
- COVID-19 variants
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Distribution of the Vaccine |
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Many of you are wondering when you and your employees may be eligible to receive the vaccine. The COVID-19 vaccine will be distributed to Pennsylvanians in a four-phased approach. Download PA's comprehensive vaccination plan here. For a complete listing of eligible groups in each phase, begin reading on page 13.
Pennsylvania is currently in Phase 1A.
- Long-term care facility residents
Health care personnel including, but not limited to:
- Emergency medical service personnel
- Nurses
- Nursing assistants
- Physicians
- Dentists
- Dental hygienists
- Chiropractors
- Therapists
- Phlebotomists
- Pharmacists
- Technicians
- Pharmacy technicians
- Health professions students and trainees
- Direct support professionals
- Clinical personnel in school settings or correctional facilities
- Contractual HCP not directly employed by the health care facility
- Persons not directly involved in patient care but potentially exposed to infectious material that can transmit disease among or from health care personnel and patients
Phase 1B
- People ages 75 and older
- People in congregate settings not otherwise specified as LTCF and persons receiving home and community-based services
- First responders
- Correctional officers and other workers serving people in congregate care settings not included in Phase 1A
- Food and agricultural workers
- U.S. Postal Service workers
- Manufacturing workers
- Grocery store workers
- Education workers
- Clergy and other essential support for houses of worship
- Public transit workers
- Individuals caring for children or adults in early childhood and adult day programs
Phase 1C
- People ages 65-74
- People aged 16-64 with high-risk conditions causing an increased risk for severe disease
Essential workers in these sectors:
- Transportation and logistics
- Water and wastewater
- Foodservice
- Housing construction
- Finance, including bank tellers
- Information technology
- Communications
- Energy, including nuclear reactors
- Legal services
- Federal, state, county, and local government workers, including county election workers, elected officials and members of the judiciary and their staff
- Media
- Public safety
- Public health workers
Phase 2
- All individuals not previously covered who are 16 and older and do not have a contraindication to the vaccine (note that at this time, only the Pfizer-BioNTech product is approved for those age 16 and 17)
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How Do You Get the Vaccine? |
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PLEASE NOTE: Employers should share the link with their employees to register. Employees in these essential categories will be verified with the employer prior to scheduling. If you have a large workforce, you may want to instruct employees to identify a predetermined HR representative as the point of contact for this verification.
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Can You Require Employees to Be Vaccinated? |
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As COVID-19 vaccines become available, many employers are asking if they can require employees to get vaccinated, and what they can do if workers refuse. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) weighed in on Dec. 16 with new guidance that answers some workplace vaccination questions.
Employers may encourage or possibly require COVID-19 vaccinations, but policies must comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII) and other workplace laws, according to the EEOC. For more details, visit SHRM.org here. |
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What to Expect After Getting the COVID-19 Vaccine |
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The COVID-19 vaccination will help protect you from getting COVID-19. You may have some side effects, which are normal signs that your body is building protection. These side effects may affect your ability to do daily activities, but they should go away in a few days. If you have pain or discomfort, talk to your doctor about taking over-the-counter medications, such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen. Common side effects include pain and swelling in the arm where you receive the shot. To read additional details, please visit the CDC's page here.
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The Food and Drug Administration has granted emergency use authorization (EUA) for COVID-19 vaccines developed by Pfizer and Moderna. These were among the more than 200 vaccine candidates in development in early 2020, and they are expected to be the first of multiple vaccines to become available in the United States in the coming months.
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Information about recently discovered COVID-19 variants is rapidly emerging. Scientists are working to learn more about how easily they might spread, whether they could cause more severe illness and whether currently authorized vaccines will protect people against them. At this time, there is no evidence that these variants cause more severe illness or increased risk of death. CDC, in collaboration with other public health agencies, is monitoring the situation closely. To read more, please visit the CDC here.
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Do you have questions? Need additional resources? Please contact our office and we will do our best to provide answers. |
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Please call 717-273-3727 during normal business hours or visit lvchamber.org
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