Allegheny County to launch new vaccine registration system next week

Allegheny County will launch a new vaccine registration system next week, officials announced Wednesday.

The system will allow residents to register for a covid-19 vaccine, receive notifications when they become eligible and prevent those who are ineligible from making appointments in the meantime.

The system will reduce the number of canceled appointments at vaccination sites, County Executive Rich Fitzgerald said.

The system will allow one-time use links for specific clinics targeted at particular populations.

Details about how to register in the new system were not announced Wednesday; officials said that will come next week.

The old system, which Fitzgerald said came from the state, has been a challenge for the county throughout the vaccine rollout. Many residents have described having trouble navigating the system, with website lags and accessibility concerns for those without computers or tech savvy.

Registration changes to begin Friday

Online registration through the old system will end at 9 a.m. Friday, and phone registration through the 2-1-1 system will end at 5 p.m. the same day, Fitzgerald said.

Overall, more than 370,000 people are at least partially vaccinated in Allegheny County, according to the Department of Health. Dr. Debra Bogen, Allegheny County health director, said out of 74,000 fully vaccinated individuals in the county, there have been only 31 “breakthrough” cases of covid-19 — meaning 31 fully vaccinated individuals contracted covid at least 14 days after receiving their second dose.

That’s less than 0.05% of vaccinated people, which Bogen said was “positive news for vaccine efficacy.”

Statewide, vaccinations are picking up. More than 4.5 million doses have been administered in total, according to the Department of Health, amounting to more than 3 million people. Pennsylvania once had ranked among slower states for its speed of vaccine distribution, but in the last month has jumped from 30th to 17th, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In a news release, Gov. Tom Wolf credited the improvement with an order requiring providers to administer 80% of a vaccine allocation within seven days of receiving it. That order, among other new mandates designed to speed the rollout, was issued about a month ago.

Still, covid cases rising

In Allegheny County, though, the progress comes amid rising cases and hospitalizations. The county health department on Wednesday reported 498 new infections, and only about 13 of them were more than a week old.

The county’s test positivity rate increased in the last week to 6%, Bogen said.

Bogen attributed the new cases to more frequent and larger gatherings, coupled with increasing prevalence of more transmissible variants.

“From our case investigations, we hear that people are gathering with friends in larger groups than even a few weeks ago,” Bogen said. “And many of the gatherings are without masks. There are large groups at many different establishments and less physical distancing than is recommended.”

So far, Bogen added, there are at least 33 known cases of the U.K. variant (B117) in Allegheny County.

She noted the cases are becoming more prevalent among younger populations — similar to a surge in infections that occurred last June.

The median age of cases is now in the low 30s, as cases among those ages 5 to 18 increase while those among residents 65 or older decline.

This is likely due to more people in older age groups being vaccinated, Bogen said. As of last week, more than 65% of those 65 and older had received at least one dose, she said.

Officials pleaded with residents to continue following public health guidance and stay vigilant, even as vaccine distribution increases.

“It’s not just the hospitalizations and fatalities, which obviously are the most dire thing,” Fitzgerald said. “But people are getting this illness, and it’s lasting for a long time with certain people. While they may not be hospitalized, it’s certainly affecting their life, their quality of life, their ability to do things.

“So, be careful, wear your mask, stay distant.”