Four More Western PA Hospitals Get Coronavirus Vaccine Doses

UPPER ST. CLAIR, PA — Three additional Allegheny County hospitals now have Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine, the state Department of Health announced Tuesday. St. Clair Memorial Hospital in Upper St. Clair, UPMC St. Margaret Hospital in Pittsburgh and UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital in Oakland have begun distributing the vaccine to health care workers.

Additionally, Washington Hospital in Washington also has the vaccine.

The four hospitals are among 22 additional hospitals that received 30,255 doses of the vaccine. Currently, 109 hospitals across the state have begun inoculating staff.

“These first doses of vaccine are being given specifically to health care workers through hospitals,” Pennsylvania Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine said. “Hospitals are making arrangements to implement these vaccinations, not only to their own frontline staff but to other high-priority recipients. The number of people we can immunize truly depends on how quickly the manufacturers can make the vaccine.”

UMPC and Allegheny Health Network hospitals last week became the first western Pennsylvania medical facilities to receive doses of the vaccine.

Residents and staff members of 2,283 skilled nursing and assisted living facilities in Pennsylvania will begin receiving the coronavirus vaccine on Dec. 28.

CVS Health teams will make multiple visits to each long-term care facility to provide the initial shot and booster. The majority of residents and staff will be fully vaccinated three to four weeks after the first visit, depending on whether they receive the Pfizer or Moderna vaccination.

CVS Health expects to complete the vaccination effort in approximately 12 weeks.