Source: Bucks County Courier Times Date: 3/8/2021 Bucks, Montgomery county lawmakers demand action on mismanaged vaccines James McGinnis Bucks County Courier Times Thirteen Republican state lawmakers representing parts Philadelphia, Bucks and Montgomery counties demanded Monday that the Department of Health turn over all doses of COVID vaccine to the National Guard, saying it cannot be trusted to equitably administer the shots. It came just hours after a statement from both Republicans and Democrats at the county and state levels who said they believe the state is not evenly distributing the life-saving medications. Lawmakers from Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery counties issued a statement Monday morning and demanded the Pennsylvania Health Department:

• Make a publicly available chart illustrating vaccine allocations to each county.

• Explain how and when counties that are lagging in shipments will receive additional vaccine.

• Outline efforts to monitor vaccine providers and ensure equal distribution of future doses. The officials said a meeting Sunday with Acting Secretary of Health Alison Beam and other Wolf administration officials over vaccine distribution was "disappointing and frustrating." They said Beam confirmed no county would move to vaccinate people in 1B before all counties had completed their 1A vaccinations, except for teachers who have been moved up to receive the Johnson & Johnson vaccine from the state. Later Monday, Republican state lawmakers issued a second statement calling on the National Guard to step in and fix the problem. “There are people throughout Bucks, Montgomery, Delaware and Chester counties who should have already been vaccinated if the administration had followed an equitable distribution formula,” said Rep. , of Langhorne. “The planning of this distribution has lacked transparency; it’s been a disaster. The National Guard specializes in logistics, and that’s how we fix this moving forward.” In making that demand, Farry was joined by lawmakers , , Todd Stephens, Tracy Pennycuick, , K.C. Tomlinson, Shelby Labs, , , John Lawrence, Chris Quinn, and Craig Williams. This news organization and others have pointed to disparities in distribution of the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines. In Western Pennsylvania, Mercer County — home to an estimated 107,330 people — has received 24,930 vaccines, state records show. Bucks County — with six times as many residents — received 39,485 doses of vaccine between Feb. 22 and March 3. The mishandling of vaccine led to condemnation of the state Health Department. “I’m disgusted,” said state Rep. , of Bristol Township. In Monday's joint bipartisan statement, lawmakers said: "There remains a lack of transparency on the total doses that have come to our counties from every source. Therefore, we have no way to assess how the data presented to us today was calculated, and how those calculations have been used to determine the number of doses that have been allocated to our four counties. Additionally, we were not given any indication of the plan to make up acknowledged shortfalls to certain counties going forward." The Pennsylvania Department of Health has said the state's distribution formula is based on several factors, including previous vaccine allocation, the amount on hand for distribution, the amount administered, the population, the amount of the population 65 and older, the county's percent positivity and its death rate. Others aren't buying it. “We are hoping the new leadership at the Health Department will join us in our call to use the National Guard to save lives,” said White, a state lawmaker representing parts of Northeast Philadelphia. “This is all about vaccine equality.” "None of us understands what the allocation algorithm is for the southeastern Pennsylvania counties," Montgomery County Commissioner Val Arkoosh said during a press briefing Wednesday. "I'm looking for more transparency. I'm looking to understand how these allocation decisions are being made. And I'm hoping that once that information is given to us, and we understand it, we will be able to better advocate for more doses here to our region." Contact reporter James McGinnis at [email protected]