By: KDKA-TV news staff
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – Allegheny Health Network says it is suspending COVID-19 vaccination programming for the general public due to the small amount of supplies available.
Wilson Pharmacy is one of the few in the state that administers the vaccine to the general public, and Dolores Hison considers herself lucky.
“I was shocked to come in today and find out she has it,” she said.
But don’t raise your hopes. Although the pharmacy now vaccinates members of the general public aged 65 and over, pharmacist Jeff Wilson says he is running out of Modena vaccine supplies almost as soon as supplies arrive through the door.
“Most likely, we’ll be out by the end of the day,” he said.
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It is the same in the state and the nation. The distribution network of pharmacies, clinics and hospital systems says they are ready to vaccinate the general public, but the supply has slowed.
After vaccinating all its front-line employees, outpatients and first responders, Allegheny Health Network had vaccinated people aged 75 and over. But on Friday, AHN put the schedule on hold until more arrives.
“Think of it like a movie theater. When you sell tickets to a theater, you can’t frame anyone else. When you can open another theater, you can get more people. Basically, when we get more offers, we will open more places, “said Donald Whiting, AHN’s medical director.
The Pennsylvania Department of Health has less than one promotion mark so far, having distributed less than half of the vaccines the state has received, and the UPMC has criticized some for not making supplies available to the public. until he vaccinates all his workers.
However, Whiting says the biggest problem is the lack of supplies from the federal government.
“We are very optimistic that the new administration in Washington will be much faster in eliminating this,” he said.
UPMC presented its reason for vaccinating all its workers in the following statement:
The vast majority of COMID-19 exposures to UPMC staff that result in infections or quarantine do not occur within UPMC units, but nevertheless have a profound impact on health care operations. Vaccination of all UPMC employees is essential to our ability to continue to provide world-class care.
In a statement issued Friday night, the Allegheny County Health Department announced that people aged 65 and over can be vaccinated at the DoubleTree Hotel in Monroeville starting Monday. The county says an appointment is needed, and appointments will be “extremely limited.”
The clinic is open Monday to Friday from 8:30 to 19:00 and Saturday from 8:30 to 17:00
You can register for meetings for the week of January 25 using the links below:
January 25; January 26; January 27; January 28th; January 29; January 30
“The above links connect users to the PrepMod planning system used by ACHD and PA DOH. If a vaccination space is available for a specific day, the link will be redirected to a page entitled “Register for vaccinations – DoubleTree Monroeville” with the date of the clinic. Individuals will be able to enter their information and choose a time for vaccination. Selecting a time for vaccination is the last step in the registration process. After scheduling a meeting, users will receive a confirmation email at the address provided during registration, “the department said in a statement.