Flyers on pace for 100 percent vaccination

The Philadelphia Flyers announced Tuesday that the club’s players, coaches and hockey operations staff are on track to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by the start of the 2021-22 season in October.

“We’ll be fully vaccinated for the start of the season, for sure.” General manager Chuck Fletcher said in a team statement. “We’ve had a great response from staff and players and we look forward to having a much more normal season than last year.”

The Flyers are believed to be the third NHL team to hit the 100 percent mark. It stands in stark contrast to, for instance, the Phillies, whose abysmally low vaccination rate has led to players being placed on the COVID-19 injured list into August.

The Flyers launched the “Take Your Shot” campaign back in the spring, as one of the leaders among NHL franchises and Philly pro sports teams to offer vaccine awareness and support. The team’s partnerships with Penn Medicine, the Black Doctors COVID-19 Consortium and other public health leaders is ongoing.

“Through our partnership with Penn Medicine, the Black Doctors COVID-19 Consortium, local health officials, and others, we’ve had a strong voice in encouraging vaccination across the region,” Flyers President of Business Operations Valerie Camillo said. “Setting a positive example is important to us and we are proud to have our entire team vaccinated before the start of the season.”