COVID-19 In Pittsburgh: Giant Eagle To Hold Vaccine Clinic For PPS Teachers At Heinz Field
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - A two-day COVID-19 vaccine clinic for Pittsburgh Public Schools teachers will be held at Heinz Field.
School leaders say it's a game-changing partnership and it's happening fast. They're partnering with Giant Eagle to hold the clinic on March 11 and March 12. Staff will receive a second dose in 21 days.
Giant Eagle says it'll complement the state's Johnson & Johnson vaccine plan for teachers with the two-shot Pfizer vaccine it's still getting for its clinics at the stadium.
According to Giant Eagle, Pittsburgh Public Schools officials are communicating with school leaders to schedule appointments for those not included in the initial phase of the state's Johnson & Johnson plan. The state is prioritizing educators and school staff working with elementary education students, students with disabilities and English learners.
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Two Allderdice High School teachers told KDKA an email came at 9:30 a.m. and a reply was needed by noon.
"I replied within seconds to that email," teacher Jon Parker told KDKA's Jennifer Borrasso. "It's the best one I've gotten in a long time."
"I was excited. I replied right away," said teacher Jen Mazzocco.
The Johnson & Johnson vaccine distribution for Pittsburgh Public Schools is being coordinated by the Mt. Oliver Intermediate Unit. That clinic is expected to start later this week and run through Sunday.
"Kids are our number one priority so I was ready to go with them," said Ed Camic.
Camic is a fourth-grade teacher at Twin Rivers Elementary School in McKeesport. He's ready to get vaccinated.
"It might alleviate parents' worries so they can send their kids back to where they belong," Camic said.
His day is coming as the Allegheny Intermediate Unit prepares to vaccinate 7,400 school staff in the county later this week with the J&J shot.
"AMI is the company the state has contracted with, we've mentioned them a few times. They have a team on site now, about half their team, the remainder will arrive tomorrow. I don't know if they will be augmented by the National Guard, my understanding is the guard may just be used to fill in," said Aaron Skrbin with the AIU.
The building is set, the signup schedule heading out and now the team is just waiting for the vaccine doses to arrive.
"They have a block of time allotted and basically they are going to open the schedule up and when we've exhausted the doses. that's when we will close," Skrbin said.
While AIU will vaccinate the largest portion of school staff in our region, it's the same waiting game for other intermediate units.
"We are refreshing our inboxes every five minutes -- is it coming, is it coming," said Dana Rongaus, who's a fifth-grade teacher at Montour School District.
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The IU leaders ask for patience from teachers and school staff who are ready to take a step towards normalcy.
"It's late in the year, but it's never too late. It's going to be nice for schools and classes to all get back to face to face," Rongaus said.
The goal is to start that clinic at AIU in the Waterfront on Thursday.
For Pittsburgh Public Schools teachers who couldn't get a dose in the first round of J&J shots, they'll be able to get a Pfizer shot thanks to Giant Eagle.
"We are including all those that work with students first and foremost to give them the assurance they need so when we come back to school, everyone can come back and hit the ground running and pay attention," said Pittsburgh Public Schools Assistant Superintendent Dr. Rodney Necciai.
As many as 3,000 educators could get vaccinated during this clinic, Giant Eagle says. They hope to extend availability to all teachers as soon as March 15.