This story has been updated with additional details
Penn State’s Bryce Jordan Center will serve as the site for a regional COVID-19 vaccination clinic operated by the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency and Department of Health.
According to a joint statement from PEMA and the health department, the clinic will begin administering the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine by appointment to individuals in Pennsylvania’s Phase 1A and 1B eligibility at noon on Friday, with appointments also available for Saturday, Sunday and Monday.
Registration for appointments at the clinic are available at pema.trackmyvaccine.com or by calling 1-844-545-3450. The clinic is open to anyone who is eligible regardless of county of residence, including Penn State students from out of state.
Beginning April 15, the clinic will operate from Thursdays through Mondays, with hours of noon to 8 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends.
Pennsylvania residents in Phase 1C will be eligible to schedule vaccine appointments statewide beginning Monday and all adult residents will be eligible on April 19. Residents can check their eligibility status at www.pa.gov/guides/get-vaccinated.
PEMA director Randy Padfield said in a statement that site initially will administer 600 doses per day, with the capacity for more as operations ramp up.
“This is a centrally-located site that will serve thousands of people from not only Centre County but also surrounding counties as well,” Padfield said.
The Pennsylvania National Guard and AMI Expeditionary Healthcare, which is contracted by the PEMA and has also operated the free COVID-19 testing sites in Centre County, will direct operations and administer doses at the site.
“We know that this regional vaccination clinic will serve as a prime location for many Pennsylvanians to get vaccinated, and we encourage people to get vaccinated as soon as they are eligible,” Acting Secretary of Health Allison Beam said.
No end date has been set for the clinic, according to a PEMA spokesperson.
Penn State will provide facility space, additional support staff and security and complimentary on-site parking at the BJC for those with appointments to be vaccinated.
“We are so pleased to be able to partner with the state on this important public health effort to support community health and vaccinate Pennsylvanians across the Commonwealth,” Zack Moore, Penn State vice president for government and community relations, said in a statement. “We will offer the resources of our University in any way that is helpful as we continue to strive to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 in our communities.”
To date, 30,394 people in Centre County have been fully vaccinated and 18,966 are partially vaccinated, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health.
Centre County Board of Commissioners Chair Michael Pipe said the county is “honored” to be the host site for a regional vaccination clinic.
“Many people in central Pennsylvania know and recognize the Bryce Jordan Center as a venue for large events and what better way to utilize that site than as a place where folks can get a safe and effective vaccine,” Pipe said. “As we see the vaccine quantity increase we’re going to see more shots given out there and so it’s really great we can use an easily accessible location as a place where people can get their safe and effective shot. It’s great for our community and great for the region.”
Elsewhere in Centre County, Mount Nittany Medical Center and Centre Volunteers in Medicine, the area’s two largest distributors of the vaccines so far, offer waiting lists for vaccination appointments, as do Boalsburg Apothecary and Moshannon Valley Pharmacy. A number of retail pharmacies, listed on the health department website, also offer COVID-19 vaccination appointments.
The Jordan Center has previously served as host site for CVIM vaccination clinics.
