The City has partnered with the Federal Emergency Management Agency and Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency to open the Center City Vaccination Center, located at the Pennsylvania Convention Center (PCC).

The site has the capacity to vaccinate up to several thousand Philadelphians per day through appointments or walk-up access. 

The site will be administering first- and second-doses of the Pfizer vaccine through May 25th, 2021 to everyone age 12 and older. The Johnson & Johnson one-dose vaccine will be available from May 11th, 2021 to May 25th, 2021 for everyone age 18 and older.

The Center City Vaccination Center will operate seven days a week, from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m., through May 26, 2021.

The Department of Homeland Security is committed to equal access to the COVID-19 vaccine. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection will not conduct immigration enforcement operations at or near this vaccine distribution site.

How to register for a vaccine appointment

Appointments for the Center City Vaccination Center can be set for everyone 18+ who lives or works in Philadelphia by visiting www.phila.gov/vaccine.

If residents do not have internet access, have issues filling out the online form, or need the form in an additional language, they should call 3-1-1.

The Center City Vaccination Center is also accepting walk-ups.

What to Bring

An ID or piece of mail with a Philadelphia address is necessary to provide proof of identity.

What to Expect

Before your appointment

Please wear clothing that will make it easy for you to receive your vaccine. Consider wearing a shirt that can easily expose your upper arm. This will help the process move quickly and smoothly for yourself and others.

Individuals with vaccination appointments should plan to arrive on time. You may have to wait in line prior to entering the site to get your vaccine. Seating and wheelchairs are available on site to assist individuals who are unable to stand for extended periods of time.

One caregiver or other support staff is allowed into the clinic with those who need them who are receiving the vaccine.

You will move through several areas while answering important screening questions. Be prepared to move around the facility while you are traveling from registration, to vaccination, to observation.

If you require mobility assistance, let any staff member in uniform know. One companion may accompany the person with the appointment.

You’ll be scheduled for your second dose, if your vaccine requires one, when you check-in. You’ll be asked a few health screening questions to ensure it’s safe for you to receive the vaccine, and then you’ll get the vaccine.

After your appointment

After you’ve been vaccinated, you’ll wait in an observation area for 15 minutes. Certain health conditions will require a 30-minute observation time.

You will receive a CDC issued card, keep this card in a safe place. Take a picture of it on your phone and email it to yourself. You’ll need to bring it to your second vaccine appointment, if you are required to receive a second dose.

You will also receive an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) issued fact sheet with certain vaccine-specific EUA information for you to read.

You may experience minor side effects after your vaccination. These side effects are signals that your immune system is working. Potential short-term side effects include:

  • A sore arm
  • General muscle aches
  • Headache
  • Fatigue
  • Chills
  • Fever

Clinical staff will be a mix of federal partners, including uniformed military providers, and volunteers from the Philadelphia Medical Reserve Corps. U.S. Army North is serving as coordinating agency for the Department of Defense’s COVID-19 response in support of FEMA.

Translation and Interpretation Services

If you or a member of your party needs language translation or interpretation services, see any staff member. A mix of on-site translators and mobile applications will be used to communicate with those who require interpretation of languages commonly spoken in Philadelphia.

Access and Functional Needs Considerations

There will be an assisted check-in area and process, as well as signage with directions for patients with access and functional needs. There will be on-site translation in American Sign Language (ASL) with additional language capability on-call as needed. Wheelchairs will be available. Video Remote Interpreting services will also be available on site.

There will be a privacy or sensory booth on site for those who need it. The privacy booth is a place for those with or children with noise or stimulation sensitivities, those needing to change clothes, or for those who prefer more privacy.

Getting to the Center City Vaccination Center

The entrance to the Center City Vaccination Center is at the northeast corner of 12th and Arch Streets. Individuals with appointments should use 100 N. 12th Street Philadelphia, PA 19107 as the GPS address. After being vaccinated, individuals will exit at the northwest corner of 11th and Arch Streets.

There are many transportation options available to meet the needs of residents traveling to all City-run and FEMA-supported clinics. More information about the range of options can be found on the City’s vaccine clinic transportation blog.

The Pennsylvania Convention Center is accessible using:

  • SEPTA public transit and Customized Community Transportation (CCT) services
  • Rideshare
  • Taxi
  • Personal vehicle

Parking facilities are available to accommodate personal vehicles and loading zones have been created for drop-offs and pick-ups at the entrance and exit.

SEPTA Public Transportation Options

The Pennsylvania Convention Center is a block away from SEPTA’s Jefferson Station which is serviced by eleven Regional Rail lines, the Market-Frankford line and bus routes: 17, 23, 33, 38, 44, 47, 47M, 48, 61, and 62.

Individuals are highly encouraged to use public transit resources to get to and from their appointments at the Center City Vaccination Center.

SEPTA continues to promote safe and healthy travel during the pandemic. Masks are required, and employee-ambassadors will reinforce this mandate and give out free masks as part of the Mask Force Philly program. More information on SEPTA service and COVID-19 can be found at septa.org/covid-19.

This web-based map shows all transit routes to the PCC, and this static map shows frequent routes to the Pennsylvania Convention Center.

Seniors ride free on transit

Did you know adults age 65 and older can ride free at all times on SEPTA buses, trackless trolleys, trolleys, Broad Street and Market Frankford lines, and Regional Rail? Learn more about what you need to ride free as a senior on SEPTA.

Reduced transit fare for people with disabilities under age 65

Individuals under age 65 with a qualifying disability can ride at half-fare at all times on SEPTA buses, trackless trolleys, trolleys, Broad Street and Market Frankford lines, and Regional Rail.  Registration information below. Eligibility criteria and application information can be found here. 

CCT and access and functional needs transportation

SEPTA, in partnership with the City of Philadelphia, has expanded Customized Community Transportation (CCT) service for seniors 65 or older, and individuals with disabilities and/or access and functional needs. To qualify, they must be a resident of Philadelphia and be unable to otherwise secure transportation to and from the Center City Vaccination Center.

This expanded service begins Tuesday, March 9. The service is for individuals not yet registered with SEPTA CCT.

Individuals can request a ride to their vaccination appointment by dialing 3-1-1 and selecting Option 5 between 8 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday through Friday. Requests should be made at least 72 hours before the date of the appointment.

This service is provided free of charge to those with access and functional needs. Those using CCT must have a confirmed appointment before requesting transportation. Individuals already registered with SEPTA CCT are still able to request a ride to the Center City Vaccination Center for their vaccination appointment.

Designated pick-up and drop-off areas

ADA Pick-Up and Drop-Off

A designated drop-off point with ADA accessibility is located on the south side of the 100-200 block of N. 12th Street, between Arch and Race Streets.

A designated pick-up point with ADA accessibility will be located on the northeast corner of 1100 Arch Street, between 11th and 12th Streets.

Taxi, Rideshare, and Privately Owned Vehicles

Designated drop-off points for rideshare, taxi, and privately owned vehicles will be located on the northside of 100 N. 12th Street, between Arch and Race Streets.

Designated pick-up points for rideshare, taxi, and privately owned vehicles will be located on the 0-100 block of N. 11th Street, between Market and Arch Streets.

Parking Information

The PCC website lists various parking options, and there are several parking apps that can help locate available parking resources. The following parking garages are offering discounted rates for 2-hour parking. Rates must be validated by showing the vaccination card given to individuals after receiving their vaccine.

  • The Autopark at the Fashion District

45 N. 10th Street, Philadelphia PA 19107

$5 for 2-hour parking

  • Parkway Broad and Race Garage

150 N. Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19102

$10 for 2-hour parking

  • Parkway 12th & Filbert Garage

1201 Filbert Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107

$10 for 2-hour parking

  • Hilton Garden Inn Parking Garage

1100 Arch Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107

$10 for 2-hour parking

Items NOT allowed inside

Prohibited items include, but are not limited to:

  • Aerosols
  • Ammunition
  • Animals other than service/guide animals
  • Bags exceeding size restriction 18”x13”x7”
  • Bicycles
  • Balloons
  • Coolers
  • Drones and other unmanned aircraft systems
  • Explosives
  • Firearms
  • Knives
  • Laser pointers
  • Packages
  • Supports for signs and placards
  • Toy guns
  • Weapons of any kind
  • Any other items determined to be potential safety hazards

Lost and found

Leave something behind after your visit at the Center City Vaccination Center? We’ve set up a lost and found area inside Hall F at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. E-mail info@paconvention.com with your contact info and description of the item. Someone will be in touch.

Get updates about the site

Residents can sign up to receive notifications about potential impacts to or changes at the Center City Vaccination Center—including transit and weather incidents. Sign up to receive these updates via free Ready Philadelphia text alert by texting COVIDPHL to 888-777.

Register for a COVID-19 vaccine appointment today!