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The Luzerne County Cares Commission decided Wednesday it will round up volunteers to take county residents 75 and older to obtain their COVID-19 vaccinations if they don&rsquo;t have transportation.
				Under the current plan, that age group is part of the 1B vaccination phase which Pennsylvania plans to launch soon.
				County Emergency Management Agency Director Lucy Morgan told the commission her agency and counterparts across the state are scheduled to attend a virtual conference Thursday with state Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine to discuss the latest vaccination plans. 
				The chatter is that the 1B phase could launch as early as next week, Morgan said, promising to share any updates she receives with Commission Chairman Matthew Vough, a county councilman.
				Also in the 1B phase are law enforcement, fire/rescue and emergency services personnel, corrections officers, clergy and workers in public transit, grocery stores, education, manufacturing, the U.S. Postal Service and childcare and congregate-care facilities that were not part of the still-ongoing initial 1A phase.
				Hospital systems and two contracted pharmacies &mdash; CVS and Walgreens &mdash; have been administering vaccines in the 1A phase to nursing home residents and workers and a range of health care personnel, including dentists and dental hygienists, chiropractors, therapists, pharmacists and those potentially exposed to infectious material from health care personnel and patients.
				Morgan said her office is in daily communication with the state health department and has a plan in place if the state determines it wants to activate and provide medical staff for a mass vaccination clinic in the county.
				The county does not disclose prospective locations unless the state wants to proceed with a mass clinic, which hasn&rsquo;t happened at this point, she said. If a mass clinic is authorized by the state, it would be a drive-through setup in which motorists who receive their shots would then be directed to a different section of the parking area for 15 minutes of medical monitoring before they can leave, she said.
				Another possibility is that 1B will be distributed through scheduled appointments at local pharmacies without a mass clinic here, Morgan said.
				Morgan said she should know more about the plans Thursday and thanked the commission for focusing on transportation needs.
				Commission member Kendra Radle, also a county councilwoman, said transportation volunteers can help their assigned elderly riders with reminders and rides to obtain their required second vaccination shot.
				Joseph Grilli, commission vice chairman, said he will help organize the volunteer effort, which should begin immediately after Morgan&rsquo;s update.
				&ldquo;I just have a feeling that this will thankfully happen a lot quicker, so we should be ready to act,&rdquo; Grilli said.
				Vough invited residents interested in volunteering to email him at matthew.vough@luzernecounty.org.
				&ldquo;This will bring the community together,&rdquo; Vough said.
				County Councilman Walter Griffith told the commission he will provide transportation if needed and suggested the county post any information on the volunteer effort and EMA updates on the main page at <a href="https://www.luzernecounty.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">luzernecounty.org</a>.

Volunteers sought for elderly vaccine rides