Geisinger Continuing Walk-In COVID-19 Vaccines this Week Geisinger continues to offer walk-in COVID-19 vaccine events this week at its four vaccine centers. Walk-in COVID-19 vaccinations will be available: Thursday, June 10, at the Geisinger Jersey Shore Hospital Vaccine Center, 116 Kerr Ave., Jersey Shore, from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.Friday, June 11, at the Geisinger CenterPoint Vaccine Center, 300 Keystone Ave., Pittston, from 9 to 11:30 a.m.Friday, June 11, at the Geisinger Hughes Center Vaccine Center, 9 Stearns Lane, Danville, from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.Saturday, June 12, at the Geisinger Lewistown Hospital Vaccine Center, 400 Highland Ave. Ext., Lewistown, from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Geisinger is offering the Pfizer BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine at all locations, which is a two-dose vaccine administered 21 days apart. Walk-in vaccines are available to anyone age 12 and over, but those under 18 years old must have a parent or legal guardian with them to receive their vaccine doses. The vaccine centers are staffed with pediatric teams, including pediatricians, to answer any questions and assist with the vaccinations. Geisinger continues to offer COVID-19 vaccines by appointment at its four vaccine centers, and those can be made through myGeisinger or by calling 570-284-3657. To check on additional walk-in vaccine days and times, and for more information about the COVID-19 vaccine, visit geisinger.org/COVIDVax.
Geisinger Continuing Walk-In COVID-19 Vaccines this Week Geisinger continues to make it easier to get a COVID-19 vaccine by offering walk-in vaccine events this week at its four vaccine centers. Walk-in COVID-19 vaccinations will be available: Thursday, June 3, at the Geisinger Jersey Shore Hospital Vaccine Center, 116 Kerr Ave., Jersey Shore, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.Friday, June 4, at the Geisinger CenterPoint Vaccine Center, 300 Keystone Ave., Pittston, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.Saturday, June 5, at the Geisinger Hughes Center Vaccine Center, 9 Stearns Lane, Danville, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.Saturday, June 5, at the Geisinger Lewistown Hospital Vaccine Center, 400 Highland Ave. Ext., Lewistown, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Geisinger is offering the Pfizer BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine at all locations, which is a two-dose vaccine administered 21 days apart. Walk-in vaccines are available to anyone age 12 and over, but those under 18 years old must have a parent or legal guardian with them to receive their vaccine doses. The vaccine centers are staffed with pediatric teams, including pediatricians, to answer any questions and assist with the vaccinations. Geisinger continues to offer COVID-19 vaccines by appointment at its four vaccine centers, and those can be made through myGeisinger or by calling 570-284-3657. To check on additional walk-in vaccine days and times, and for more information about the COVID-19 vaccine, visit geisinger.org/COVIDVax.
Geisinger Continuing Walk-In COVID-19 Vaccines this Week Geisinger continues to make it easier to get a COVID-19 vaccine by offering walk-in vaccine events this week at its four vaccine centers. Walk-in COVID-19 vaccinations will be available: Wednesday, May 26, at the Geisinger Hughes Center Vaccine Center, 9 Stearns Lane, Danville, from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.Wednesday, May 26, and Thursday, May 27, at the Geisinger Jersey Shore Hospital Vaccine Center, 116 Kerr Ave., Jersey Shore, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.Friday, May 28, at the Geisinger CenterPoint Vaccine Center, 300 Keystone Ave., Pittston, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.Saturday, May 29, at the Geisinger Lewistown Hospital Vaccine Center, 400 Highland Ave. Ext., Lewistown, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Geisinger is offering the Pfizer BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine at all locations, which is a two-dose vaccine administered 21 days apart. Walk-in vaccines are available to anyone age 12 and over, but those under 18 years old must have a parent or legal guardian with them to receive their vaccine doses. The vaccine centers are staffed with pediatric teams, including pediatricians, to answer any questions and assist with the vaccinations. Geisinger continues to offer COVID-19 vaccines by appointment at its four vaccine centers, and those can be made through myGeisinger or by calling 570-284-3657. To check on additional walk-in vaccine days and times, and for more information about the COVID-19 vaccine, visit geisinger.org/COVIDVax.
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Updates Key 2021 Policies at PNC Field Due to additional changes in CDC and state guidelines last week, the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders have updated several policies for fans attending games at PNC Field this season. Masking policies will change during the team’s next homestand and capacity restrictions will change next month. PNC Field returns to 100% capacity on June 1 and single-game tickets for the remainder of the 2021 home schedule will go on sale tomorrow, May 21, at 10 A.M. online at swbrailriders.com. Updated Policies and Guidelines are as follows: Mask Policy (Beginning May 25) Vaccinated fans do not need to wear a mask unless they choose to do so.Unvaccinated fans must continue to mask at all times. Entrance/ Seating/ Capacity Restrictions (Beginning June 1) Due to Major League Baseball requirements, social distancing will remain in place during entrance and exit at PNC Field.A special “pod seating” section will remain in place for fans wishing to maintain safe social distancing. Masking will be required in this section.The Season Ticket Holder early entrance policy will be reinstated (15 minutes before gates open via the SWB Station Team Store).The designated smoking areas will be reinstated.The Geisinger Kids Zone will be open.The SWB Station Team Store capacity restrictions will be lifted.Ballpark re-entry will now be permitted. The RailRiders will keep several existing policies in place. They are as follows: RailRiders and Legends staff will continue to wear masks at PNC Field.Digital Ticketing will remain in place for the entire 2021 season.PNC Field will remain cashless for the entire 2021 season.Players will not be able to sign autographs until further notice.The Clear Bag Policy remains in effect for the entire 2021 season.Enhanced cleaning and sanitization efforts will stay in place for the entire 2021 season. In addition, due to MLB guidelines, the RailRiders will continue to utilize pod seating for player families to assist with social distancing and safety. Protocols and procedures remain subject to change this season per Major League Baseball, state and CDC guidance. For more information on all 2021 policies, visit the Health and Safety Information page at swbrailriders.com or call (570) 969-2255.
Geisinger CenterPoint Offering Walk-In COVID-19 Vaccines Thursday and Friday Geisinger continues to make it easier to get a COVID-19 vaccine by offering walk-in vaccine events on Thursday, May 20, and Friday, May 21, at the Geisinger CenterPoint Vaccine Center in Jenkins Township. Walk-in COVID-19 vaccinations will be available from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Thursday and Friday. Geisinger is offering the Pfizer BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, which is a two-dose vaccine administered 21 days apart. Walk-in vaccines are available to anyone age 12 and over, but those under 18 years old must have a parent or legal guardian with them to receive their vaccine doses. The vaccine center is staffed with pediatric teams, including pediatricians, to answer any questions and assist with the vaccinations. Geisinger continues to offer COVID-19 vaccines by appointment at its four vaccine centers, and those can be made through myGeisinger or by calling 570-284-3657. More information about the COVID-19 vaccine, including information for parents of newly eligible children, is available at geisinger.org/COVIDVax.
FNCB Bank Removes Masks on Dunmore Buck and Penn State Nittany Lion FNCB Bank employees officially removed the masks that have been in place on the “Dunmore Buck” and Penn State Nittany Lion outside of their branch since the early stages of the pandemic. “Both the Buck and Lion have been fully vaccinated and in accordance with the new CDC guidance, will no longer need to wear their masks as they enjoy many beautiful days at Dunmore Corners,” said Michael Cummings, Vice President, Marketing Manager.
PA Department of Health Mask Order Reflects Latest CDC Guidance for Fully Vaccinated Individuals Department of Health Acting Secretary Alison Beam announced that the commonwealth’s mask order reflects the announcement made by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) earlier today. On March 16, 2021, the SOH amended the commonwealth’s mask order by adding language directing to the CDC’s guidance for fully vaccinated people allow for no face coverings. That means that today’s CDC guidelines automatically go into effect in Pennsylvania. Masking requirement will still be in place as otherwise provided under the CDC guidance and for unvaccinated individuals until 70 percent of Pennsylvanians age 18 and older are fully vaccinated. “Today’s guidance from the CDC affects only people who are fully vaccinated” Acting Secretary Beam said. “This is another incentive to get the vaccine that is now easily and conveniently available. Once 70 percent of Pennsylvanians over 18 are fully vaccinated, we can completely lift the masking order.” The CDC today provided guidance that fully vaccinated individuals can resume activities that they did prior to the pandemic without wearing a mask or physically distancing except where required by law, rule, and regulations, including local business and workplace guidance. Under the guidance, individuals are still be required to wear a mask on planes, buses, trains, and other forms of public transportation traveling into, within, or out of the United States, and in U.S. transportation hubs, such as airports and stations. In addition, all individuals will still need to follow guidance at workplaces and local businesses. For more information on the CDC guidance, visit here. People can find vaccination locations near them using Vaccines.gov, also known as Vaccine Finder. Individuals also can text their zip code to GETVAX (438829) for English, or VACUNA (822862) for Spanish and receive three possible vaccination sites in their area.
Geisinger Expands COVID-19 Vaccine Appointments to Include Those Age 12 and Over Following recent approvals to expand use of the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine, Geisinger, which has already administered 285,000 COVID-19 vaccines, is now offering vaccine appointments to anyone ages 12 and over. Beginning today, vaccine appointments can be scheduled for anyone age 12 and over at one of Geisinger’s four community vaccine centers. The vaccine centers are staffed with pediatric teams, including pediatricians, to answer any questions and assist with the vaccinations. Anyone who is under 18 years old must have a parent or legal guardian with them to receive their vaccine doses. Appointments can be made through myGeisinger or by calling 570-284-3657. The vaccine centers are at the Geisinger Health Plan Building near Danville, Geisinger CenterPoint in Jenkins Township, Geisinger Jersey Shore Hospital and Geisinger Lewistown Hospital. As a reminder for appointment scheduling, the Pfizer vaccine is a two-dose vaccine given 21 days apart. More information about the COVID-19 vaccine, including information for parents of newly eligible children, is available at geisinger.org/COVIDVax.
Geisinger Offers Virtual Support Group for COVID Survivors Geisinger will offer a free, virtual support group for survivors of COVID-19 beginning May 12. Geisinger psychologist Erin Hall, Psy.D., will facilitate the group each Wednesday from 4 to 5 p.m. Sessions will cover common experiences in recovery from COVID-19 including issues with sleep, memory or concentration; physical challenges; depression and anxiety; concerns about health, future medical care or COVID re-infection; trauma related to illness or hospitalization; and changes to family roles, relationships and friendships. The group will focus on coping strategies and building resilience. “Recovering from COVID-19 can be a lengthy process, and each person’s experience is different,” said Dr. Hall. “Having a safe space to talk about your experience and challenges, among others with similar struggles, is important in helping people heal and recover. Recovery from COVID-19 is truly both physical and psychological.” To register, visit geisinger.org/events and search “COVID survivor support group.” Participants can register for each week’s session separately.
3 Benefits of Getting the COVID-19 Vaccine By: Dr. Amit Mehta, Geisinger primary care physician With several COVID-19 vaccines approved for use in the U.S., we have a powerful tool to help us overcome the coronavirus pandemic. But some people have concerns about being vaccinated against COVID-19. That’s where we come in. Common concerns around the COVID-19 vaccine include safety, speed of vaccine development and potential long-term side effects. The FDA has certain criteria for vaccine development in place to make sure all vaccines are as safe as possible. They didn’t compromise those criteria here. Experts also continue to study the long-term effects of the COVID-19 vaccine, but early research hasn’t shown cause for concern. Whether you’re at low or high risk of serious illness from COVID, getting vaccinated is the best way to avoid a severe or even fatal infection. Why getting the COVID-19 vaccine is smart Still not sure about getting the vaccine — or need help convincing a loved one? Here are the main benefits that come with it: 1. It’s your best defense against COVID-19 Illness from COVID-19 can be serious and life-threatening for some people. And there’s no way to know for sure how it may affect you. Even if you have a mild case of COVID, you can still spread it to a loved one who may get really sick. All COVID-19 vaccines available in the U.S. have been shown to be highly effective at preventing illness from COVID-19. And based on early data, getting a vaccine helps keep you from getting seriously ill if you do get COVID-19. While it’s normal to experience some side effects right after receiving the vaccine — like a fever, headache or body aches — these are all signs that your body is building immunity to the virus. None of the vaccines can give you COVID-19. 2. It’s a safer way to achieve immunity from COVID-19 Even if you’ve already had COVID-19, you should still get vaccinated — but be sure to wait at least 10 days after your symptoms started and 20 days if you were hospitalized from COVID-19. While having COVID will leave you with naturally produced antibodies, we still don’t know the level of or how long this immunity lasts. We do know that it varies and decreases over time, and that getting a COVID-19 vaccine will likely give you additional immunity. And again, it’s just not worth risking a serious or fatal COVID-19 infection. 3. It can help us end the pandemic Now over a year into the COVID-19 pandemic, many of us are ready to leave our homes without masks, spend time with friends and loved ones and maybe even travel. The COVID-19 vaccine can help us get there. While masking, handwashing and physical distancing are proven to help reduce exposure to and the spread of COVID-19, they aren’t enough to end the pandemic. Vaccines will help us build up immunity to COVID-19, so our bodies can fight off the virus if we’re exposed. And per CDC guidelines, those who are fully vaccinated, meaning it’s been at least 2 weeks since the last required dose, can even return to some pre-pandemic activities. We’re still learning how the current vaccines will affect the spread of COVID-19. Until we know more, everyone — vaccinated or not — should continue masking, handwashing and physical distancing in public places. Eventually, as more people are vaccinated, we can loosen preventive measures as federal and state guidelines allow. Get reliable information on COVID-19 vaccines There’s a lot of information out there about the COVID-19 vaccines — and some of it may be misleading. If you have questions about the COVID-19 vaccine, your doctor is your best resource. They can give you advice that’s tailored to you and your medical history. If you’d like to do some research on your own, the CDC is a trusted source for vaccine information that’s based on facts. Based on the data we have from Phase 3 clinical trials and the millions of Americans now vaccinated, we feel confident that the available COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective. I have personally received the COVID-19 vaccine and advise my patients and members of the community to do the same.
