Two Days Left of Dose 1 as Center City Vaccination Center Changes Operations

PHILADELPHIA, PA – Today and tomorrow (May 3 and 4) are the last two days the Center City Vaccination Center (CCVC) will be providing Pfizer Dose 1. Starting at 5pm on May 4, Pfizer Dose 2 will be available to those who work and live in Philadelphia. Due to successful outcomes at the federally-supported, city-managed mass vaccination site, the CCVC is running for three more weeks, with May 25 set to be the last day of operations. The Esperanza Community Vaccination Center (ECVC) will be closing June 4. The City’s initial request was for FEMA to support the sites for eight weeks but it extended FEMA’s mission by four weeks due to the site’s resounding success. As such, FEMA has fulfilled its mission by completing the mandated, agreed-upon time frame of operations.

The CCVC has always had the capability to deliver 6,000 vaccine doses per day, but the site has seen tapering demand, which coincides with the City of Philadelphia’s increased capabilities in providing COVID-19 vaccinations through more than 250 mobile and neighborhood-focused vaccination clinics. This has allowed FEMA to optimize its operational model by decreasing staffing and operational throughput. FEMA continues to right-size staffing for the mission but expects high traffic the next two days with over 4,000 appointments for the Pfizer Dose 1.

Effective May 11, the CCVC will run Pfizer Dose 2 and Johnson & Johnson vaccinations concurrently. To schedule an appointment and find specific information about this site, please visit phila.gov/ccvc. Appointments for the ECVC schedule can be made at phila.gov/ecvc. Philadelphians can also schedule appointments at other city vaccination sites and gets answers to specific questions at phila.gov/health.

By May 5, both the CCVC and ECVC will have delivered nearly 300K vaccines. FEMA has been conducting its own Speaker’s Bureau while supporting City outreach initiatives, including the City’s Speaker’s Bureau, Speaker’s Engagement with community-based organizations (CBO), and trusted messenger tours. Outreach teams have also been reaching under-vaccinated communities by canvassing at grocery stores and high-traffic areas with other city-managed teams. Other items include community outreach organizations visiting the CCVC, such as disability advocacy groups and access and functional needs organizations.

FEMA has been partnering with CBOs and faith-based organizations to increase awareness about the vaccination site and recently supported a successful Deaf Community Vaccination Day at the CCVC. FEMA continues to support the City’s mission to reach the most under-vaccinated communities by mitigating barriers to vaccinations, such as site accessibility, transportation, language, and the technical and digital divide.

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For media inquiries, please contact FEMA Region 3 Office of External Affairs 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