Gov. Tom Wolf ready for his COVID-19 vaccine
Gov. Tom Wolf is getting his first jab of the COVID-19 vaccine Monday at a federally qualified clinic in his home county of York.
The governor said Friday he delayed getting vaccinated because he didn’t want to jump in line ahead of others when the supply was limited.
“Don’t wait,” Wolf said, urging those who are hesitant about the drugs to schedule an appointment for a vaccine now that all Pennsylvania adults are eligible for a dose.
Wolf said he didn’t know which vaccine he was scheduled to receive.
Acting state Health Secretary Alison Beam said the state has “a lot of work to do to overcome vaccine hesitancy.”
“There are open appointments,” Wolf said. “Now we have a way to fight back.”
More than 40% of Pennsylvania residents have received a COVD-19 vaccine, and 1 in 5 adults have had their second dose of the Pfizer or Moderna drugs, Wolf said.
The push to convince people that the vaccines are safe comes at a time when new cases of the virus are surging again and hospitalizations are on the rise.
The state on Friday announced 5,650 new virus cases, bringing the cumulative total since March 2020 to 1,098,502.
Pennsylvania announced 56 new deaths, including one each in Washington and Fayette counties.
Washington County reported 71 new virus cases, bringing its total to 16,234. Greene County added a dozen new cases to its total of 3,066. Fayette’s case-count grew by 48 to 11,923.