DUBOIS – During the Penn Highlands Healthcare teleconference Tuesday, officials recommended continuing to follow U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention and Pennsylvania Department of Health guidelines, and also urged those who fall within the Phase 1A category to get vaccinated.
PHH provided a list of those who fall within that grouping:
- long-term care facility residents,
- emergency medical service personnel,
- nurses,
- nursing assistants,
- physicians,
- dentists,
- dental hygienists,
- chiropractors,
- therapists,
- phlebotomists,
- pharmacists,
- technicians,
- health professions students and trainees,
- direct support professionals,
- clinical personnel in school or correctional facilities, and
- those who are not directly employed by a healthcare facility but are contracted to work there.
Persons ages 65 and older should get the vaccine and also those ages 16-64 who have high risk conditions, including: cancer, chronic kidney disease, COPD, Down Syndrome, heart conditions, weakened immune systems, obesity, pregnancy, sickle cell disease, smoking and Type 2 diabetes.
Dr. Shawn Sheehan recommends that if you are unsure of your body mass index, you can find calculators online by searching BMI calculator.