More than half of Allegheny County's adult population is partially vaccinated, officials say

More than 50% of Allegheny County’s adult population has been partially vaccinated for covid-19, local officials said Wednesday. Among residents older than 65, more than 78% have gotten at least one dose.

County officials encouraged people to sign up for appointments and get the vaccine as soon as possible.

“The fewer people that get vaccinated, the longer this virus will linger in our lives and the best way to defeat this virus is to continue the vaccine rollout as fast as possible,” said Dr. Debra Bogen, the county’s health director.

Bogen said she worries about vaccine hesitancy. She said a “boots on the ground” approach will be necessary to reach people in different communities, provide education and meet people in a trusted location.

The county is in what Bogen has called a “fourth wave” of covid cases, with several hundred new infections reported each day. As of Wednesday, the county’s PCR test positivity rate was 9.6%, a full percentage point higher than last week. Hospitalizations and covid-related deaths also continue to increase.

Bogen’s remarks came a day after federal regulators recommended a pause in distribution of the Johnson & Johnson single-dose vaccine, after a type of blood clot was identified in six women in the two weeks following their shot.

Bogen noted the rarity of the clots — more than 6.8 million doses have been administered in the U.S. — and asked residents to still sign up to receive a Pfizer or Moderna vaccination.

“As your health department director, I urge you not to view this pause as a signal that our local, state or federal vaccination efforts are in any way flawed,” she said. “Rather, view this response as evidence that the health care officials will do and have done decisive action at even the slightest hint of an issue.”

She said people who develop severe headaches, abdominal pain, leg pain or shortness of breath should contact their health care provider.

The health department had partnered with local health systems for a series of mass vaccination clinics, including a two-day clinic with UPMC and the Pittsburgh Penguins at the Pittsburgh Mills in Frazer. Bogen said the pause won’t change the health department’s overall vaccine strategy.

While the department had expected to receive and administer around 12,000 Johnson & Johnson doses a week in the coming weeks, through an effort with the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Association, those were considered “regional doses.” The county-run clinics — in McKeesport, Castle Shannon, Ross and Pittsburgh’s Hill District — rely primarily on Pfizer and Moderna.

Bogen said county data on breakthrough cases – covid infections in individuals who had previously received a shot – is so far also encouraging. As of April 13, she said, the health department is aware of 109 breakthrough cases out of 213,000 people vaccinated. That amounts to about 0.05%.