Allegheny Co. Reopening COVID-19 Vaccination Appointment Window

PITTSBURGH – The Allegheny County Health Department will take limited first-dose coronavirus vaccination appointments for the week of March 1 at its Castle Shannon clinic. Appointments are for those 65 and older only and can be made online beginning Friday at 9 a.m. on link's that will be provided on the county vaccination page.

Those 65 and older without online access can make appointments by calling the 211 line beginning at 9 a.m. as well.

All appointments are for the Castle Shannon VFD Banquet Hall at 3600 Library Road. Appointments are required. There is no on-site registration or walk-up appointments. Any person arriving at the site without an appointment, or who is not 65 and older, will be turned away.

The county will be administering four trays of the Pfizer vaccine for first shots. The Pfizer vaccine differs slightly from the Moderna vaccine. It is also a two-shot series, but the second shot can be
administered in a 21 to 42-day window.

Second dose clinics of Moderna vaccine are being scheduled for individuals who received their first doses at the Monroeville vaccination clinic between February 1 and 4 and are due for their second doses between March 1 and 4. Emails with links containing second dose registration links will be sent to those needing the second dose.

The links sent are for second doses only, and the doses available through these links have been set aside to fulfill second dose needs. These links are intended for use by only those individuals due for second doses at the Monroeville vaccination clinic on those days and should not be forwarded to others. Anyone who makes an appointment using one of those links who was not an intended recipient will have their appointment canceled and will be turned away at the Monroeville location.

Anyone who is due for their second dose between March 1 and 4 in Monroeville and did not receive an email containing links should call 211 to register for their appointment by phone.

Additional points of dispensing (PODs) for other Phase 1A healthcare and frontline staff that were scheduled last week have now been rescheduled. The initiative for vaccination at senior housing will also continue the week of March 1 at four sites throughout the county. Individuals who missed their first dose appointments due to weather on February 16 will also be contacted to have their appointment rescheduled for the coming week.

Individuals who received their first doses at the Monroeville vaccination clinic on February 5 and 6 will receive an email next week with additional information regarding their appointments. While those appointments may not be available on the 28th day, all individuals will receive their second dose within the CDC-recommended guidance of up to 6 weeks after the first dose.

Again, this announcement affects only individuals who received their vaccines through the health department not those who received their vaccines through other providers. Health department officials said the state has assured providers that the appropriate supply of doses will be available.

Individuals who need to schedule their second dose should work with the provider or location where they received the first dose. Requests for a second dose cannot be accommodated by other providers.

The health department will continue to schedule the second vaccine in the series for individuals who received their first vaccine from an ACHD POD. While the recent announcement by the state may mean that there may be some delay in when the second vaccine is administered, these potential changes remain in line with guidance from the CDC which recommends that vaccines may be administered up to 6 weeks (42 days) after the first dose.

Anyone with questions regarding COVID-19, the vaccine or scheduling their second dose should call 211 for more information and to be connected to available resources.