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The choice to receive or not receive the co-vid vaccine is a personal one. Some have taken a wait and see approach expressing concern over the speed at which the vaccines went from development to delivery. Others have been confused and frustrated trying to determine if and when they may become eligible for the vaccine and how to sign up. For those in the second category who are Philadelphia residents, an announcement was made this week that starting April 19, all residents 16 and older will be eligible for the vaccine.

The announcement also invited additional categories of workers to join the ranks of the vaccinated even sooner. As of April 5, sanitation workers, maintenance and janitorial workers, utility workers and postal delivery workers became eligible. Starting Monday, April 12, the rest of the city’s Phase 1C — including a number of essential workers who cannot work remotely — will be eligible as well. 

The new schedule puts Philadelphia on track with the rest of the state, building on the 566,733 vaccinations already administered in the city, 318,604 of whom are fully vaccinated. According to recent state data, Pennsylvania as a whole has administered 5,702,677 vaccinations which means that 35.2% of the state’s eligible population has received a first dose and 2,037,055 people have been fully vaccinated. In the immediate region, New Jersey is on a parallel pace of vaccination and Delaware expanded eligibility to all residents 16 and older on April 6th. 

Reported by Hannah Chin for WHYY News Daily, 4/6/2021