'The Hunger Games': People Scrambling After Allegheny Co. Health Dept. Cancels COVID-19 Vaccine Appointments
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - A woman who had her vaccine appointment canceled by Allegheny County will now drive about two hours north for her vaccine shot. She is one of hundreds looking for an appointment after the county canceled them.
MaryAnn Sinwell prepared for Allegheny County to start vaccinating the Phase 1A expansion.
"I had alerts set up to notify me when that website changed and I jumped in there immediately," she said over Zoom.
Sinwell got her husband who is over 65 an appointment and then one for herself at the county vaccine site in Monroeville. She is under 65 and has health conditions.
"This is my time to get protected cause I do go to work every day," Sinwell said.
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She thought everything was good and then she got another email from the county.
"Two days later I got a cancelation," she said.
According to Allegheny County, only health care workers and people over 65 are able to get the vaccine at its sites.
"I couldn't believe it. I told my husband, he couldn't believe it. I've been monitoring this stuff non-stop. I've been clicking all those dots," Sinwell said.
Allegheny County Health Director Dr. Debra Bogen says the registration software purchased by the state doesn't filter the appointments, thus causing the Sinwells' situation.
"We use the software purchased by the state. We have been working with the state on making some improvements to that software," said Dr. Bogen during her Wednesday press conference.
So it was back to the drawing board for Sinwell. She started looking and registering just about anywhere until she got an appointment. It will now be a two-hour drive from Murrysville to Dubois in Clearfield County.
"I'm committed to this. I have a condition I go to work every day. I'm part of the defense industrial base infrastructure. You have to be there," Sinwell said.
Dr. Bogen said once more people over 65 are vaccinated and more vaccines arrive, the county will expand to the rest of Phase 1A. There is no timeline on when that could happen.