More than 50% of Allegheny County’s adult population has been partially vaccinated for covid-19, local officials said Wednesday. Among residents over 65, more than 78% received at least one dose.
Land officials urged people to sign up for appointments and get the vaccination as soon as possible.
“The fewer people are vaccinated, the longer this virus will linger in our lives, and the best way to defeat this virus is to continue the vaccine as quickly as possible,” said Dr. Debra Bogen, health director of the country, said.
Bogen said she was concerned about vaccinating vaccines. She said a ‘boots on the ground’ approach would be needed to reach people in different communities, educate and meet people in a trustworthy place.
The province is in what Bogen called a “fourth wave” of serious cases, with hundreds of new infections every day. As of Wednesday, the country’s PCR test positivity rate was 9.6%, a full percentage point higher than last week. Hospitalizations and deaths associated with covides are also on the rise.
Bogen’s remarks come a day after federal regulators recommended a halt in the distribution of the single & vaccine Johnson & Johnson, after a type of blood clot was identified in the two weeks after their shot in six women.
Bogen noted that the blood clots are scarce – more than 6.8 million doses have been administered in the US – and asked residents to still sign up to get a Pfizer or Moderna vaccination.
“As your health department director, I urge you not to view this break as a sign that our local, state or federal vaccination efforts are at all flawed,” she said. “Consider this response rather as proof that the health officials will do even the slightest hint of a case and have actually acted.”
She said people who have severe headaches, abdominal pain, leg pain or shortness of breath should contact their healthcare provider.
The Department of Health has partnered with local health systems for a range of mass vaccination clinics, including a two-day clinic with UPMC and the Pittsburgh Penguins at the Pittsburgh Mills in Frazer. Bogen said the interruption would not change the Department of Health’s general vaccination strategy.
The department expected to receive and administer approximately 12,000 doses of Johnson & Johnson per week in the coming weeks, but through an effort with the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Association, it is considered ‘regional doses’. The rural clinics – in McKeesport, Castle Shannon, Ross and Pittsburgh’s Hill District – rely mainly on Pfizer and Moderna.
According to Bogen, the country’s data on breakthrough cases – covid infections in individuals who have been given a chance before – are so far encouraging. According to her, on April 13, the health department is aware of 109 breakthrough cases out of 213,000 people who have been vaccinated. This amounts to about 0.05%.
Teghan Simonton is an author of the staff of Tribune-Review. You can contact Teghan at 724-226-4680, [email protected] or via Twitter .