Getting The COVID-19 Vaccination In Allegheny Co.: Latest Updates

PITTSBURGH, PA — A week after a Moderna dosage mix-up at the state level and severe winter weather that caused delays to coronavirus vaccine shipments across Pennsylvania, there was good news regarding vaccine supplies this week.

State health officials reported Pennsylvania received its largest shipment yet of first doses since inoculation efforts began in December. Nearly 226,000 doses arrived in the state this week, an increase of about 42,000 over last week.

Those supplies helped to enable the Allegheny County Health Network to hold a two-day vaccine clinic at PNC Park. While it's still difficult to get a vaccination appointment, increasing supplies of the vaccine provide optimism that those difficulties soon will ease.

Here's where things currently stand:

• UPMC says its goal remains to provide COVID-19 vaccines to as many people as possible and to ensure the limited supplies of vaccine can have the greatest impact. To find out if you are eligible for a vaccination appointment through UPMC, click on this link.

• The Allegheny County Health Network, which had the aforementioned two-day clinic at PNC Park, says it is only scheduling appointments for the most vulnerable populations. Learn if you can schedule at AHN now.

• Allegheny County on Friday began accepting a limited number of vaccination appointments at its Castle Shannon clinic. The Monroeville clinic remains fully booked.

• Giant Eagle and the Steelers announced plans for a multi-day vaccination clinic at Heinz Field March 2-5. Giant Eagle pharmacies are offering vaccinations. Check here for locations and available appointment times. If no appointment slots appear, that means all times are booked or that particular pharmacy does not currently have the vaccine.

• Rite Aid is providing limited information on how to get a vaccination at one of its Pennsylvania locations. The chain also is stressing that vaccine supplies are "extremely limited" at this time.

• Beaver Health Mart in Beaver suspended its online vaccination registration because of a lack of supplies.

• CVS is now providing vaccinations at six locations in Pennsylvania, including its New Kensington pharmacy.

• The Walgreens vaccination rollout in Pennsylvania has yet to begin. Walmart and Sam's Club locations also aren't offering them yet, nor is Costco.
  

The state remains in Phase 1A of the vaccination plan. Those eligible to be inoculated include long-term care facility residents, health care personnel, those under 65 and people ages 16 to 64 with serious medical conditions that make them more at risk for severe illness due to COVID-19.

According to state Department of Health statistics as of Friday morning, 100,903 Allegheny County residents had received the first shot, while 56,841 people had received a second shot. Two shots are required to be fully inoculated.

Allegheny County continues to have the highest number of partial and full inoculations of any county in the state.

Click here for a detailed list of who is currently eligible for the vaccine.
Click here for a map of places offering the vaccine.