FEMA Advisory
FEMA, in partnership with the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency, Philadelphia Office of Emergency Management and Philadelphia Department of Public Health, will open the Center City Vaccination Site, located at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, in Philadelphia on Wednesday, March 3rd, 2021.
Advisory:
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Last week, FEMA and the City of Philadelphia announced a partnership to establish a Community Vaccination Center (CVC)- the Center City Vaccination Center- which will be located at the Pennsylvania Convention Center.
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The goal of establishing this joint federal pilot site is to continue expanding the rate of vaccinations in the City of Philadelphia in an efficient, effective, and equitable manner, with a focus on communities with a high risk of COVID-19 exposure and infection.
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This site is in addition to and in support of Philadelphia’s existing core network of vaccine distribution sites, which are rooted in key communities throughout the city. This core network includes federally qualified health centers, pharmacies and health care providers.
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Vaccines for this center are provided to the City of Philadelphia above and beyond the regular allocations and will not affect supply of ongoing vaccine distribution efforts in Philadelphia. Philadelphia has received its own allocation of vaccines, separate from Pennsylvania’s since the beginning of the vaccination mission. The additional vaccines are made possible through increases in production and availability.
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Philadelphia County Residents interested in receiving a vaccine must sign up using the City of Philadelphia Department of Public Health’s COVID-19 Vaccine Interest Form available at: phila.gov/vaccineinterest. Registrants will be contacted when eligible and there is a vaccine available. If residents have issues filling out the online form, they can call 311. There are no walk-up appointments. Individuals who show up without a scheduled appointment cannot receive a vaccine.
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The vaccine appointment confirmation message will have all details necessary for the day of their vaccination appointment. Vaccination appointments may be given at the Center City Philadelphia Vaccination Site or at one of the City of Philadelphia’s other vaccination sites.
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A government issued ID or utility bill with a Philadelphia address is necessary to provide proof of identity and contact information the day of the appointment at all Philadelphia vaccinations sites.
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There will be no walk-up appointments. All appointments will be scheduled by the Philadelphia Department of Public Health. Epidemiological risk factor and geographic location are the primary determining factors for Philadelphia Department of Public Health’s appointment timing and locations.
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The City of Philadelphia is currently scheduling vaccine appointments for registrants in Phases 1a and 1b.
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The Center City Vaccination Center will operate from 8am until 8pm, 7 days per week, for at least the next 6 weeks.
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Clinical staff will be a mix of federal partners, including uniformed military providers, and volunteers from the Philadelphia Medical Reserve Corps. U.S. Army North is serving as coordinating agency for the Department of Defense’s COVID-19 response in support of FEMA. A 222-person element from the U.S. Marine Corps is expected to arrive in Philadelphia this weekend. More information on the DoD’s support to FEMA can be found here: https://www.arnorth.army.mil/jflcc/pages/jflcc-press-releases.aspx
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The Center City Philadelphia Vaccination Site is accessible by a variety of public transportation options and passenger drop-off locations, as well as several nearby parking garages. The Pennsylvania Convention Center occupies a central, accessible location that is served by a robust municipal transportation system and is served by a significant number of advocacy and private non-profit organizations that can best serve isolated or underserved populations.
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The site will have signage with directions for clients with access and functional needs and non-English speaking clients in five languages, with additional language support on call as needed. There will be an assisted check-in area and process for clients with access and functional needs. There will be on-site translation in Spanish and American Sign Language (ASL) with additional language capability on call as needed. Wheelchairs will be available.
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U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection will not conduct enforcement operations at or near vaccine distribution sites or clinics.
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More information on the Philadelphia Department of Public Health’s Vaccination Plan can be found at: www.phila.gov/programs/coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19/vaccines
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For media inquiries only, please contact femar3newsdesk@fema.dhs.gov.
FEMA’s mission is helping people before, during, and after disasters. FEMA Region 3’s jurisdiction includes Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia. Follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/femaregion3 and on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/company/femaregion3