Gov. Wolf: Teachers, others can get Johnson & Johnson vaccine when it arrives

Educators in Pennsylvania will be able to receive the Johnson & Johnson covid-19 vaccine when it becomes available, and shipments should start arriving in the state this week, state officials said Tuesday.

“We have an unusual opportunity with (the Johnson & Johnson vaccine) because it’s a one-dose,” Gov. Tom Wolf said in a media conference on relief funds for the hospitality industry.

“There are some really important front-line workers that I think – and I think the task force believes – should be included in that,” Wolf said. “Like teachers and, not too far down the road, child care workers and police and fire, grocery store workers, bus drivers.”

He said a formal announcement will likely come Wednesday.

Teachers and most others considered essential workers are in phase 1B of the state’s vaccination plan. The state remains in phase 1A with no timetable for moving on to the next phase.

Earlier Tuesday, Lindsey Mauldin, a senior adviser for the Department of Health, said the latest vaccine will begin arriving in Pennsylvania this week.

“In the short term, this does not solve the major problems facing vaccination efforts across the country,” said Mauldin. “There’s still not enough vaccine available to meet the current demand.”

She said that the state received more than a half-million doses of the two double-dose vaccines last week, and “that’s a big step in the right direction.”

Johnson & Johnson’s single-dose vaccine received emergency use authorization from the federal government over the weekend, and Mauldin said details will come later this week as to how many doses the state will receive.

An email from state Rep. Tim O’Neal, R-Washington, however, shared with the Tribune-Review on Monday, indicated the state is expected to get an initial shipment of 94,000 doses.

O’Neal is a member of the state’s bipartisan covid-19 task force, which was established in February to improve the state’s vaccine rollout.

The email, sent by O’Neal to House GOP members, said there is a possibility that teachers could be moved into phase 1A, which currently includes health care workers, long-term care residents, those age 65 and up, and anyone ages 16 to 64 with certain health conditions.