January 2021
The MLO Minute: By, Kimberly Caputo, Esq. —
COVID-19 Vaccine
At MLO, we strive to provide compassionate and highly competent legal counsel to our clients. We are here to help and realize in these unprecedented times, there are many challenges facing our clients and their friends and families. With this in mind, we are committed to sharing information that may be helpful for families/individuals seeking solutions.
In Pennsylvania, the COVID-19 vaccine is available for individuals in Category 1A, but finding a location with available vaccine can be challenging. If you have made the decision to move forward with a vaccine, the following may be helpful to you.
Who is in Category 1A?
The Pa Department of Health has published a list and it can be found here: www.health.pa.gov
Category 1A, in Pa, includes:
- Anyone over the age of 65
- Anyone with a specific type of job (healthcare related)
- Children and young adults and others 16 -64 with certain medical conditions (including Down Syndrome, diabetes-Type 2)
Once you have determined the category, next is finding a location with the vaccine and getting an appointment.
For those who can travel, an option may include registering for and getting the vaccine through the ST. LUKE’S HEALTH SYSTEM. Locations include: Quakertown, Allentown, Easton and Phillipsburg. You do NOT need to be an active patient/client of St. Luke’s to participate in the vaccine opportunity.
Here are steps in the process:
- Go to St. Luke’s COVID-19 webpage: www.slhn.org
- Create a “health chart”. This is basic information like address, phone and email, age, insurance (including Medicare and Medicaid), and health conditions
- Once your “chart” is created, your info is reviewed and for some, within a few hours, you will receive an email directing you to log back into your chart and scheduling information by date and time is made available.
- Confirmation and reminders can be sent to an email or cell phone.
Evaluation During COVID-19 and News for Philadelphia Students
Philadelphia public schools remain closed for face to face (F2F) instruction with all students receiving 100% of instruction virtually. Some students in Philadelphia and across the state have struggled under this instructional method. Many Districts are evaluating students “virtually” due to COVD-19 and this has, for some students, also presented challenges.
As we move through winter, many students will begin the transition from early intervention services to school age programs in September 2021 and evaluations by a District is a critical part of this process. In addition, many students already enrolled may need initial evaluations to determine whether they have an educational disability and need specialized instruction, and there are students with IEPS who need reevaluation.
Starting January 25th, 2021 the School District of Philadelphia (SDP) is opening (6) regionally located sites across the city so students can be evaluated in a F2F setting. Click here to finish reading the full article!
