Allegheny County officials support lifting of restrictions, tackle covid vaccine myths

A day after Gov. Tom Wolf announced the imminent removal of covid restrictions in Pennsylvania, Allegheny County officials said it was right move.

“That’s really good news as we start to get back to normal,” County Executive Rich Fitzgerald said at a virtual news conference. “Everybody has been eligible for the last three weeks to get a vaccine, so we still encourage you to do that.”

Fitzgerald had previously predicted mask mandates would be eased by June 1. Under Wolf’s directive, Pennsylvania’s mandate won’t be lifted until 70% of the population has been vaccinated – but Fitzgerald said he’s still confident people can go maskless by the summer, given the county’s current progress with vaccinations.

Dr. Debra Bogen, the county’s health director, said 94% of county residents aged 65 and older have received at least one dose. Among those 50-64, 68% are at least partially vaccinated, That rate is 60% for those aged 39-49, 49% for those 20-35 and 25% for teenagers aged 16-19, Bogen said.

“But the work is not done, and I believe we can and will do better,” she said.

Bogen said case counts in Allegheny County are not decreasing as fast as she would like, and 75 covid-related deaths were recorded during the month of April — 12 of them were adults younger than 60. She implored those who are eligible to get their covid vaccine.

“With this impending change, the more people who get vaccinated, the safer we will all be,” she said.

Bogen addressed several common myths about the three available vaccines, including some which she said were “plausible concerns” and others that appear to have been “conjured to deceive.”

Among the myths Bogen dispelled: none of the vaccines contain microchips or tracking devices, meat or animal products or whole or partial human cells. There is no evidence to suggest the vaccines cause infertility. Research shows all three are highly effective against the covid variants.

Bogen said the most important myth to dispel is the idea that the vaccines were rushed and therefore developed too quickly for anyone to determine they are safe.

“The science is solid,” she said. “These vaccines are rooted in well-established technologies used to develop other vaccines. They underwent extensive testing in tens of thousands of people, including the county executive and me. They have been now given to millions across the country. They are safe, and certainly far safer than getting covid-19, which I will remind you, has contributed to the deaths of nearly 2,000 Allegheny County residents and 75 people in April, alone.”