City Managing Director Abraham Amoros said last week that the vaccine would be mandatory for employees, but he walked that statement back a little bit this week.
"The question is can employers mandate vaccinations," Amoros said. "The answer is yes, but it has to be done on a case-by-case basis."
Amoros added that someone could opt out of taking the vaccine for religious or physical reasons.
"We are going to look at those on a case-by-case basis," he said.
"We want everyone vaccinated in order to protect themselves, their families and their communities," Amoros said.
The city has assembled a work group to come up with a plan that includes Emergency Management Coordinator and Fire Marshal Jeremy Searfoss, fire department Lt. Kirk Litzenberger, city Solicitor Elizabeth Kraft, Human Resources Director Aida Acevedo and Director of Communications Christian Crespo, Amoros said.
The city is creating a priority list for vaccine distribution taking into account age, pre-existing conditions and comorbidity factors, Amoros said.
Department directors were also asked to prioritize their employees as critical, intermediate and support.
"If we receive 10 doses, we would look at our list and administer those as quickly as possible," Amoros said. "It is on a first-come, first-serve basis, but we are going by our priority list to ensure those who need it the most have access first."
The plan goes beyond city employees to include City Council members and the city auditor.
"We want to make sure that everyone within our city family is protected and has the opportunity to receive the vaccination," Amoros said.
Amoros said the hope is to start administering the vaccine by mid-February.
Many of the city's first responders have been vaccinated, Amoros said.
Councilwoman Marica Goodman-Hinnershitz asked what the city is going to do to educate people on the vaccine.
"There's a lot of fear, anxiety and mistrust of the vaccine," she said. "Until we have a critical mass of people vaccinated we really aren't going to move forward from this pandemic."
The city will partner with Gov. Tom Wolf's Advisory Commission on Latino Affairs to educate communities about the vaccine.
Mayor Eddie Moran has offered to take the lead in educating communities of color about the vaccine, Amoros said.
"It's very frustrating," he said. "I have a friend who is a professional that works in Harrisburg, a Latina, and she said she has no interest in taking the vaccination. These are the things we are up against."
Councilwoman Johanny Cepeda-Freytiz said she also is apprehensive about the vaccine.
"I'm looking forward to being educated regarding the matter and see where we go from here," she said. "But I have to admit, like many in our community, I have some reservations regarding the vaccine."
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