Allegheny County Health Department adds new vaccination sites

The Allegheny County Health Department announced Tuesday that it will be opening three new covid-19 vaccine locations before the end of March.

The sites will include a temporary site in Oakland, a site for targeted outreach in the Central Hill District and a community vaccine location in Ross, according to the county.

“Dr. (Debra) Bogen’s plan for sites was for locations in the four corners of the county, as well as centrally, and in areas where the available data suggests that there are gaps,” said Allegheny County spokeswoman Amie Downs. “These three sites meet some of those needs. As additional data becomes available to us, or other gaps are identified, new sites may open or shift.”

The new sites will be by appointment only. Anyone arriving without an appointment or not meeting priority criteria will be turned away, officials said. There is no walk-up registration. All appointments will be announced through Allegheny Alerts and posted on the county’s covid vaccine page.

County residents without internet access or who have difficulty navigating the online registration system can contact 2-1-1 for assistance in scheduling when appointments are available.

Through a partnership with the University of Pittsburgh, the Petersen Events Center will be used as a vaccination site beginning Wednesday through the end of next week. About 1,000 vaccinations a day will be offered. Second dose appointments will happen at the same location in the 28-to-42-day window recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Online links and phone registration for the clinics held this week were announced Tuesday morning via Allegheny Alerts and posted on the Health Department’s covid vaccine page.

Free parking will be available at the garage at Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall & Museum off of Bigelow Boulevard with free shuttles between the garage and the Petersen Events Center during the hours of operation.

The health department is providing the vaccine, while students and faculty from Pitt’s Schools of Pharmacy, Nursing, Medicine, Dental Medicine, Health and Rehabilitation Sciences and Graduate School of Public Health will serve as vaccinators.

Through a partnership with the Central Baptist Church and the Center for Integrative Health at Duquesne University, a targeted outreach vaccine site will be open at the church beginning on March 22. The site will have limited vaccinations available which will be used to target specific communities and populations that have not yet been reached through traditional means, county officials said.

The Ross Township Community Center will also be a vaccine site beginning on March 24. The clinics will be staffed by Health Department staff and members of the Medical Reserve Corps. As the Ross site ramps up, the Monroeville site will be used for second dose clinics for those who received their first doses there before that location is phased out, the county said.

The Castle Shannon site continues to operate and is now being staffed by volunteers with the American Red Cross and employees of the Medical Rescue Team Authority through agreements with the county.

The county continues to receive both the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines. As appointments are announced, the notifications will also note which vaccine will be used at that clinic.