Westmoreland County vaccine plan remains shot in the dark for now - TribLIVE

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As neighboring counties take steps to coordinate local covid vaccinations, Westmoreland commissioners say they are awaiting further direction from the state before crafting a distribution plan.

County officials insist there has been little direction from state health and emergency management staff, a situation that has left local leaders in the dark about what role they can play in assisting with vaccine distribution.

“We’re not there yet, and we are following the system they set up,” Commissioner Sean Kertes said.

Officials in Fayette and Washington counties last week announced preliminary efforts to prepare for widespread distribution of the covid-19 vaccine. Doses are in short supply and not available to most who are eligible.

After the state’s decision to expand initial eligibility for immunization beyond health care workers to residents 65 and older and those with health issues, Fayette officials created a task force to help coordinate vaccine distribution plans. Washington County created a registry to allow residents to sign up to receive information about where and when the vaccine will be available.

Westmoreland commissioners last spring created a government task force to plan and prepare the county’s response to the coronavirus during the early days of the pandemic. That task force hasn’t convened since the summer, and no meetings are scheduled.

Commissioner Gina Cerilli said the county has no authority to help with vaccine distribution at this time. Westmoreland does not have a health department and relies on the state’s health experts and local medical providers and pharmacies to oversee coronavirus testing and vaccine distribution.

“If and when the state asks for our assistance, we absolutely will provide it,” Cerilli said. “However, the state has not asked for recommendations for big distribution locations throughout the county. Local county pharmacies are contracted with the state and are eager to distribute ASAP.”

Hospitals and some local pharmacies have begun immunizations. According to the state Health Department, 3,727 county residents have been fully immunized. Another 9,430 have been administered the first of two doses of the vaccine. Statewide, 413,450 people have received the first dose, and 106,541 have been fully immunized. Pennsylvania has about 12.8 million residents.

Roland Mertz, the county’s public safety director, said his department has reached out to some local pharmacies in an effort to learn where the state and federal government sent vaccine doses. An online map of vaccination locations shows that all three Excela Health hospitals and three pharmacies in the county have vaccines.

Kertes said he expects commissioners soon will have preliminary discussions about what role county government can play in local vaccine distribution. But, ultimately, he expects Excela Health — the primary medical provider in the county — and local pharmacies to take the lead in crafting immunization plans.

“We are working with Excela on how we can help them. We’re doing as much as we possibly can,” Mertz said.

Excela’s chief medical officer, Dr. Carol Fox, said the health system expects to administer about 14,000 vaccine injections through the end of January and will collaborate with county emergency services when more doses become available.

Excela estimates there are more than 80,000 county residents who are 65 and older in addition to those with serious medical conditions who are eligible to receive vaccinations now.

“Vaccinating this large group will require a multifaceted effort with a great deal of cooperation between city, county, health systems and other entities. We look forward to working together with these groups to ensure that the citizens of Westmoreland County are protected against covid-19,” Fox said.

Residents have struggled to find information about when and where they can receive vaccinations.

Toni Herroscheck, 75, of Hempfield said calls to her local pharmacies and doctors have provided no clarity.

“I was 105 in the queue for information from the (state) health department. Forget it,” Herroscheck said, not wanting to wait an hour or so on the phone for help.

Herroscheck’s cousin, Maria Kunkle, 75, of Hempfield, along with her husband, Richard, also have had little success in finding available vaccine.

“I’m not going to call everywhere,” she said.

Staff writer Joe Napsha contributed to this report.

Rich Cholodofsky is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Rich at 724-830-6293, rcholodofsky@triblive.com or via Twitter .

Categories: Coronavirus | Local | Westmoreland