Schools across Pennsylvania are participating in a free COVID-19 testing program created earlier this year by the Pennsylvania Department of Health (PDH). As of November 13, 2021, the testing partnership between PDH, Concentric, and Ginkgo Bioworks has conducted more than 3,600 PCR and antigen tests. Currently, 424 schools are participating in the program, with 148 schools actively testing and 276 schools in the onboarding process.

PDH also shared testing data – including the number of tests conducted and the number of positive cases found, on the PDH website.

In August, the state Department of Health announced the partnership with the two testing companies to offer Pennsylvania’s 500 school districts the free and voluntary COVID-19 testing program. The no-cost initiative has since been made available to schools statewide, except in Philadelphia, which receives its own allocations from the federal government and has its own health department.

To see which  school districts are participating in the testing program, a list of schools can be found here. This list will be updated by PDH each Wednesday.

Source: Pennsylvania Capital-Star

Physician General, Pediatric Professionals Discuss COVID-19 Vaccinations for Children Ages 5 through 11; Parents Encouraged to Schedule Child’s Vaccination Appointment Now

Pennsylvania Department of Health (PDH) Physician General Dr. Denise Johnson led a discussion about the COVID-19 vaccine available for children ages 5 through 11. The event, entitled Vax Facts: Facts About Pediatric Vaccines, is the latest in a series aimed at providing relevant and accurate information about COVID-19 vaccines and addressing the questions of citizens.

“The Pfizer pediatric vaccine is safe, and it is highly effective at protecting children against COVID-19-related illness, hospitalization, and death,” Dr. Johnson said. “Vaccinating children against COVID-19 is the best way to keep families and communities healthy and safe – while also keeping schools safe and open for in-person learning. To parents with a child age 5 and older, I encourage you to get them vaccinated and give your child the power to safely learn, play and be a kid.”

Dr. Johnson was joined by pediatricians versed in childhood vaccinations, including the COVID-19 pediatric vaccine, including Dr. Trude Haecker, MD, FAAP, President of the PA Chapter, American Academy of Pediatrics and General Pediatrician from Philadelphia and Dr. Swathi Gowtham, MD, FAAAP, board-certified and fellowship-trained specialist in pediatric infectious diseases from Danville.

With parental consent, children ages 5 through 11 are able to receive the free FDA-authorized, CDC-approved and pediatrician recommended Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine at pediatrician offices, health centers, pharmacies, and other healthcare provider facilities.

“With at least one quarter of all COVID-19 cases occurring in children, the approval of the COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5 through 11 is a huge milestone for some 28 million kids,” Dr. Haecker said. “This vaccine provides the best protection we have against this virus. The pandemic has taken a toll not only on the physical health of children, but also on their social, developmental, and emotional health. Thankfully, this vaccine will move us closer to a return to normalcy for our children, and ensure that they can remain in school, safely. I encourage all parents and caregivers to reach out to their pediatrician or primary care provider with questions and to schedule their child’s vaccination.” 

“The approval of the COVID-19 vaccination for children ages 5 through 11 assures that these children can now be offered the same level of protection against COVID-19 that has been offered to older children and adults,” Dr. Gowtham said. “The impact of COVID-19 in children should not be underestimated – around 600 American children have died of COVID-19 since the beginning of pandemic. As pediatricians, we want parents and guardians to be comfortable with the medical decisions they make for their children – please reach out to your child’s health care provider about any questions regarding COVID-19 vaccine or any other vaccine. These vaccines give us hope that families can have healthier holiday season this winter, if all those who are eligible get their COVID-19 and Influenza vaccines.” 

The panel also pointed out that children ages 5 through 11 may only receive the Pfizer pediatric vaccine, while children ages 12 through 17 may only receive the Pfizer 12+ vaccine.

The Pennsylvania Department of Health (PDH) has announced that information on schools participating in a free and voluntary COVID-19 screening testing program, which is available through a partnership with Concentric by Ginkgo Bioworks (Ginkgo), is now available on PDH’s website.

“We are pleased that Pennsylvania schools are taking advantage of this free and voluntary service,” Acting Secretary of Health Alison Beam said. “The testing program is designed to help mitigate the spread and possible outbreak of COVID-19 in schools and further our goal of maximizing in-person learning throughout the school year.”

The information includes the names of schools that are participating in the onboarding process and identifies schools that have already begun testing in the program. Currently, there are 424 schools participating in the program, with 148 schools actively testing and 276 schools in the onboarding process.

The federally funded COVID-19 screening testing is available at no cost to K-12 schools across the state. Schools within Philadelphia County are not included in the list, because they receive a separate federal allocation for testing.

In addition to the names of the schools, PDH will also provide summary state-level data from the testing program, such as the total number of positive cases, the number of tests conducted, the approximate number of people tested and the average turnaround time from the time testing occurs to when results of the testing is available.

“We want to remind school officials across the state that the onboarding process is fluid, so schools can opt into the program at any time throughout the school year by submitting a Statement of Assurances form to the department,” Beam added.

Information on schools participating in the COVID-19 testing program will be updated weekly on Wednesdays.