By Amber Hunsicker
Freeform Editor
Unfortunately access to the COVID-19 vaccines are not as easy as we would like them to be. The process to find out when, where, and how to get the vaccine has been immensely difficult to navigate.
Although we now have access to COVID-19 testing and know how to take preventive actions, many of us still want the vaccine to reduce the spread of the coronavirus. This pandemic has taken a year of our lives and we want to comfortably and safely return to ānormal.ā
If you would like to receive the vaccine, the following information should be helpful:
Eligibility
To determine if you are eligible to receive your vaccine or to find out when you will be eligible, simply follow these steps:
- Go to https://www.pa.gov/guides/get-vaccinated/#VaccinePhases.
- Click on āYour Turn Vaccine Eligibility Checker.ā https://covidportal.health.pa.gov/s/Your-Turn?language=en_US
- Answer the questions: county you reside in, birthday, living status, work in health care (yes or no), and high-risk conditions you may have.
The site will then share with you what phase you would be categorized as (which tells you when you can receive your vaccine).
Scheduling:
You can have the website send you updates for when it is your turn to get the vaccine, and you can search for locations providing the vaccine near you right from the questionnaire. Personally, I advise taking the eligibility questionnaire and then signing up for your vaccine through Lehigh Valley Health Network or St. Lukes. To do this follow these steps:
- Download the āMyLVHNā or āSt. Lukesā app onto your device.
- Click on āQuestionnaires.ā
- Fill out the āCOVID-19 Vaccine Pre-registrationā and any other questionnaires that may be showing up in your chart (such as āCOVID-19 Essential Worker Questionnaireā, ā COVID-19 Ages 16-64 Vaccine Requestā).
You will then be contacted on the app through the messages tab with further instructions about your eligibility and timing to be vaccinated. The app will then have you pick a date, time, and location for your first dose.