North Hills School District sets vaccine clinic for students 16 and older

North Hills School District officials are planning an appointment-only coronavirus vaccine clinic for students 16 and older next month.

Students interested in getting the Pfizer shot can sign up on the district’s website. Officials from Giant Eagle will be administering the vaccines on May 11 at the high school, according to information posted on the district website.

The clinic will only be held if at least 60 students sign up by Friday at noon. If that number is met, emails will be sent next week to those who have pre-registered to select an appointment time.

The coronavirus vaccine is available to anyone 16 and older in Pennsylvania. The two-dose Pfizer shot is the only one authorized for use in 16- and 17-year-olds. A clinic for second doses is planned for June 1.

In Allegheny County, nearly 256,000 people are partially covered by the vaccine and another 380,000 have full protection, according to state health department data. That’s more than half of the county’s adult population.

About 17% of the county’s population of 15- to 19-year-olds have gotten at least one dose of the vaccine, health department data shows.

Schools around the region have dealt with closures and virtual learning for the past year as coronavirus cases force district officials to shut down buildings or cancel extracurricular activities with short notice.

The North Hills School District has three active cases of the virus, two of which are in students learning virtually and the third in a West View Elementary student, according to its website. There have been 271 total cases reported since the start of the school year.