Pa. Private Security Officers Want Access to COVID-19 Vaccine
Some say contract security officers in Pennsylvania are being overlooked in the state’s vaccination priorities.
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania – Private security officers working in Pennsylvania say they are having a difficult time getting vaccinated for COVID-19, despite the fact that many of them are working in close proximity to those who might be infected.
One of those private security officers is Justin Edwards who works at a COVID-19 testing site, reports WHTM. He says he wants to get vaccinated but is getting confusing answers on if and when he will qualify to be immunized.
Many other security officers work at hospitals and pharmacies, and are in contact with the public frequently.
When the state released its vaccination phases, private security guards weren’t included in Phase 1, and many of them are feeling overlooked.
When WHTM reached out to the Pennsylvania Department of Health, a spokesperson said it was revising the vaccine phases to comply with new guidance from the CDC. The news station was told phase 1C now includes “security personnel.”
However, William Hamilton, who is the director of security services for INA, was told contract security officers are not included in phase 1C under “public safety” workers.
Despite this, some healthcare facilities are making the COVID-19 vaccine available to their contract security officers. UMPC is one such facility, which is offering the shots to its employed and contract security personnel.
UPMC told WHTM that all frontline healthcare workers, including contracted employees not affiliated with UPMC, can request the vaccine via this website, however, the site currently says, “This request process is ONLY for health care workers in phase 1A who are not affiliated with a hospital or health system, and cannot process other requests.”
WellSpan is also vaccinating it contracted and employed security officers.
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