Gov. Wolf announces new covid vaccine task force

Gov. Tom Wolf on Tuesday announced the creation of a joint task force aimed at improving the state’s vaccine rollout, including several members of the General Assembly from both sides of the political aisle.

“We have a good working relationship with our legislators, and we know they are the eyes, ears and voices for Pennsylvanians,” Wolf said in a statement. “The feedback they receive from their local communities is extremely important, particularly as the commonwealth continues to improve upon this once-in-a-generation vaccine rollout.”

According to a news release, members of the task force from each legislative caucus will share vaccine information and communicate issues and solutions on behalf of and to the broader General Assembly. Pennsylvania’s vaccine rollout, plagued with inconsistencies, confusion and a severe supply shortage, became the focus of multiple hearings last week in the state legislature. The House and Senate health committees each examined the rollout and found persistent issues with communication and organization.

At a news conference Tuesday afternoon, Wolf acknowledged the state has much to improve in its vaccine distribution.

“The chief constraint we’re all working under is supply,” Wolf said. “We need to do a better job in Pennsylvania. That’s not a mystery. That’s not something that I’m at all reluctant to acknowledge. But we also need to up our game in terms of getting more vaccines into places like Pennsylvania into this country.”

Wolf said the state is in need of 8 million vaccine doses to vaccinate 4 million people. It’s only gotten a little over 2 million doses.

Department of Health officials also announced a new online tool to help Pennsylvanians determine their place in line for getting the vaccine. Residents can sign up to receive alerts on the website, called Your Turn, when they’re eligible to get their dose.

Health officials and Wolf both stood by the administration’s decision not to use a centralized registration system for people to sign up to receive a vaccine, as many residents report struggling to navigate a maze of provider websites in hopes of finding an available dose.

“I’m not sure that a centralized registration system will be any better than where we are now,” he said. “I think the problems we have right now have to do with throughput – how fast are we sending limited amount of vaccines (out)?”

The task force will include co-chairs Alison Beam, acting secretary of Health, and Randy Padfield, director of the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency. Also on the task force is State Sens. Art Haywood, D-Montgomery/Philadelphia, and Ryan Aument, R-Lancaster; and State Reps. Bridget Kosierowski, D-Lackawanna, and Tim O’Neal, R-Washington.

“We’re sitting around the table trying to figure out, whatever the reality of the supply of vaccines, can we do the best possible job here in Pennsylvania?” Wolf said. “What’s the best way we can deal with this situation and wrap up as quickly as possible to get as many vaccines into as many arms as we possibly can here in Pennsylvania?”