Gov. Wolf receives covid vaccine shot

Gov. Tom Wolf received his first dose of covid vaccine Monday morning, about a week after Pennsylvania opened eligibility to all residents.

“I was happy to wait until every Pennsylvanian who wants a vaccine was eligible to get my own, and I was really pleased to get my first dose today at Family First Health, a federally qualified health center,” Wolf said in a statement.

Wolf, 72, was eligible to receive the vaccine during Phase 1A. But on Monday, he said he wanted to “wait in line” until all residents could get a vaccine.

It was a privilege to get my first dose of COVID vaccine today at Family First Health in York.

I decided to wait until ALL Pennsylvania adults were eligible to be vaccinated. I'm excited to join the more than 4.3 million PA'ians who have received at least one dose. #GotMyShotPA pic.twitter.com/C5axlhOSI6

— Governor Tom Wolf (@GovernorTomWolf) April 19, 2021

Wolf received the Moderna vaccine and scheduled his second dose while at Family First Health.

According to state Department of Health data, more than 4.3 million partial vaccinations have been administered in Pennsylvania, and more than 2.7 million people are fully vaccinated.

The state opened eligibility to all adults 16 and older last Tuesday, a week ahead of schedule.

“I hope my vaccination sets an example for those who might still be considering getting a covid-19 vaccine and encourages them to make the decision to make an appointment today to get vaccinated,” Wolf said.

Wolf has said vaccine hesitancy has been an area of concern from the beginning of the rollout — it just hadn’t been as visible before, when demand for the vaccine outweighed supply. Monday, he said vaccination is a critical strategy for ending the pandemic.

“We’re obviously in a race between the vaccine and the variants, and one of the concerns is that, as this virus mutates, it could become something more serious. And the only way we can really defeat it is to make sure a lot of people get vaccines,” Wolf said. “That’s one thing. The second thing is it’s really safe.”

Wolf tested positive for covid-19 in December but said he did not have any symptoms.