LISTEN: Sen. Hughes discusses COVID-19 vaccine with public health officials

Trusted messengers explained the vaccination process with the senator Monday evening

After being enveloped in the COVID-19 pandemic for months, we are beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel as vaccines have been approved for emergency use. On Monday, Dec. 21, I convened a telephone town hall with several public health officials, Dr. Val Arkoosh, chair of the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners; Dr. Priscilla Mpasi, attending pediatrician at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, and Dr. Caroline Johnson, deputy health secretary for the Philadelphia Department of Public Health.

During this hour-long conversation we took questions from constituents and addressed concerns about the COVID-19 vaccine. This was an important, can’t-miss conversation, which you can listen in its entirety below.

Much of the discussion centered around the vaccine and questions about who would get it, when and how. Because the vaccine has not been approved for use by the general public and to protect those at the highest risk, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the city of Philadelphia have developed plans to determine who gets the vaccine first.

I want to again emphasize how important it is to receive trusted messages from trusted messengers on COVID-19-related issues. Our public health officials are working hard to ensure people have the most up-to-date information and are safe from harm as a result of the pandemic.

Please seek out trusted messengers, such as my telephone town hall guests, and official sources including the Philadelphia Department of Public Health, the Montgomery County Office of Public Health, and the Pennsylvania Department of Health.