COVID-19 In Pittsburgh: 2,500 People Receive Second Dose Of Vaccine At PNC Park
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - Enough time had passed and 2,500 people came back to PNC Park to get their second shot of the COVID-19 vaccine and some are hoping it will propel them to living their lives as they did before the pandemic.
As they were welcomed to receive their second dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccination, it was like a weight lifted off their shoulders.
"I feel more comfortable with this," said one patient. "It's not 100%, but it's better than what we had before."
2,500 people returned to where they got their shots three weeks early so they could complete the process. Many of them with an understanding, though, that this doesn't guarantee immunity.
"I'm not going to stop wearing this," added a patient pointing to his mask. "I'm not going to go out and run into a bunch of crowds and stuff."
But now, they're less likely to contract COVID-19 and family they haven't seen in months, they can now visit face-to-face.
"Up until now, we really only see the, through the phone on FaceTime but now that she's gotten her second shot, I'll feel better if they come over," said a patient's daughter. "We'll still be wearing masks but I'll feel better about it."
Allegheny Health Network officials are pushing people to sign up to get the shot because it's not just about protecting yourself but others as well.
They add - if you're ready to get life back to the way you used to know it, this is a good start.
"I think it's going to help from an economic standpoint," said one of the medical workers at the clinic. "It's going to help everything, people that need to go back to work and get some sense of their normal life."
Residents say the process has been seamless, they haven't felt any symptoms and with the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine on the horizon, Howard Bush believes there's no excuse to get vaccinated.
"I think it's a definite thing," he said. "People must do it, they should do it, and hopefully they will do it."
So far, AHN has given out more than 1,000 shots and since the FDA approved the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, people say a third vaccine much needed so the quantity can meet demand.