Kane Community Living Centers To Receive Pfizer Vaccines For Residents, Staff Next Week
ALLEGHENY COUNTY (KDKA) -- Help is on the way for seniors in Kane Community Living Centers in Allegheny County. They will start vaccinating residents and staff next week against the Coronavirus.
All four of the facilities will have two-day clinics to vaccinate willing staff and residents. It is not mandatory but the living center leaders are trying to educate anyone hesitant about the vaccine.
Currently, the four centers have 19 residents and 26 employees with the COVID-19.
The majority of the cases are part of an outbreak at the Ross Township facility.
"We're just hopeful that with the vaccine will make these outbreaks less devastating," Kane Community Living Centers Dr. Mario Fatigati said.
CVS Pharmacy will be administering the Pfizer vaccines to residents and staff starting next week. They expect a vast majority of 930 staff members and 710 residents will get it.
Currently, about 67-69% of staff are willing.
Center leaders want to get that number closer to 80-90%. They plan to talk with staff who says no.
"And answering those kind of questions. If someone says they are afraid of getting COVID from the vaccine. We're prepared to answer that and explain to them that is just not true," Kane Community Living Centers Director Dennis Biondo.
The facilities are still calculating how many residents want the vaccine. Kane's director says a sufficient supply of doses will be available for anyone who wants one.
"We would not turn a staff member away if they say today 'no I don't want to receive it' but come Tuesday 'I do want to receive it,'" Biondo said in the press conference.
Doctors are hopeful these vaccines can start the return to normal for the nursing homes but are being cautious with their approach.
"Elderly and fray people react differently to things and so yes that's why we are cautious," Dr. Fatigati.
Here's the tentative schedule for vaccinations Monday-Tuesday and Tuesday-Wednesday will be the clinics for the Ross Township and Glen Hazel locations, and next weekend for McKeesport and Scott Township facilities. Then, three weeks later the staff and residents will get their second shot of the vaccine.
