Vaccination shortage causing frustration: 'We only got 1,000 vaccines this past week'

YEADON, Pennsylvania (WPVI) -- A COVID-19 vaccine shortage in Pennsylvania is frustrating officials in Delaware and Montgomery counties.

"We only got 1,000 vaccines this past week. We certainly asked for more than that," said Delaware County Councilman Kevin Madden.

The county has two mass vaccination sites, one in Yeadon and another in Aston. Madden said they're ready to vaccinate the more than 500,000 people who live in the region.

He said the percentage of residents who've been given both doses of vaccine is also small.

"It's a little over 1% at this point. It's a very fragmented system. I think the countries that have done well, it's been a very top down nationally coordinated process. That's not the case here," said the councilman.

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However, he's urging residents to stay the course and wear masks. He also wants everyone to check the county website to see if your primary care doctor may be administering the vaccine now as well.

"Anyone who goes on the county website can see a list that we're keeping real-time of all the providers in the county that have the vaccine," said Madden.

Val Arkoosh, chair of the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners, says they're in the same situation. They only got 1,000 new first-time doses this week. If they don't get more she says they could run out of doses for their clinics early next week.

"This will allow our clinic to operate through next Monday and that's only because we have vaccines from Monday and Tuesday's clinics, which had to be canceled," said Arkoosh.

SEE ALSO: Johnson & Johnson files emergency use authorization application for COVID-19 vaccine

The final phase of research for the Johnson & Johnson one-shot vaccine was conducted at Temple University.

However, there was some good news, Montgomery County did receive second dose vaccinations.

"I want to remind everyone wherever you got your first dose of vaccine is where you need to go to get your second dose," said Arkoosh.

They've opened a second mass vaccination clinic at Norristown Area High School.

In Montgomery County, as of now, a little less than 1.5% of the population has been fully vaccinated.