Thousands await 2nd covid vaccine doses as Allegheny County Health Department confronts shortage

Thousands of people expecting to get their second covid-19 vaccine doses as soon as next week learned Friday the Allegheny County Health Department does not have enough supply for most of them.

The health department expects to be able to give the second dose of the Moderna vaccine to only 1,400 people on Monday and Tuesday, and has no plans to schedule any more vaccine appointments until more shipments arrive.  

That leaves 4,800 people — including 1,700 health care and front-line workers — eligible to get their second dose from the county health department who can’t get one yet, according to figures provided by county spokeswoman Amie Downs. The county says those awaiting second shots received updates by email.

County health officials blamed the delay on severe winter storms impacting deliveries and other ongoing supply problems — including not receiving anticipated vaccine shipments.

“The supply of vaccine in Pennsylvania faces two challenges at this moment: a string of bad weather delaying shipment and a shortage for second doses,” Allegheny County Health Director Debra Bogen said Friday afternoon in a statement. “The priorities of the ACHD during this period are to create as little disruption as possible for those due for their second doses and to fully vaccinate those 65 and older, who are at the greatest risk of severe illness or death from covid-19.”

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The Allegheny County Health Department has been getting confirmation that a vaccine shipment is headed its way on Fridays, then the shipment typically is delivered the following Tuesday or Wednesday. By Friday evening, the department had received no such notification, nor had it received a shipment set to arrive earlier this week.

When the next shipment gets delivered, “We are expecting 2,400 vaccines designated for second doses and 4,600 vaccines designated for first doses,” Downs said. The contents of the first and second doses are “identical,” so “the reference to first or second doses pertains only to supply chain management,” the county said in a news release.

Public health officials say designating and receiving the appropriate amounts of vaccines to put toward first or second doses is an ongoing balancing act, with providers often getting less supply than they request.

State health officials had warned Wednesday that Pennsylvania’s vaccine providers could be short 55,000 first doses of Moderna’s covid-19 vaccine in the coming weeks after some providers “inadvertently used the Moderna vaccine shipped to them intended as second doses as first doses.”

Acting Secretary of Health Alison Beam cited concerns that some providers estimated 30,000 to 60,000 second-dose appointments could be pushed back one to two weeks.

Vaccine providers statewide had requested roughly 200,000 second-dose Moderna vaccines.

Still within 42-day window

Despite the need to postpone appointments, county officials said second doses still should be made available to all of those expecting them within 42 days of their first doses, in line with guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Dr. Amesh Adalja, a Pittsburgh-based infectious disease expert, told the Trib earlier this week there is wiggle room in the time frame for getting a second dose.

“I think it’s critical to get first doses into people,” said Adalja, adding that delaying second-shot distributions by a couple weeks likely won’t be “a major issue.”

Because of the shortage, people due to receive their second doses of the covid-19 vaccine from the county health department between Wednesday and next Saturday, Feb. 27, are not yet able to schedule appointments to receive them.

Those people will receive emails with links to make appointments at the county’s Monroeville or Castle Shannon clinics “once the supply of vaccine is confirmed,” county officials said.

The county health department also is rescheduling appointments at other points of distribution for about 1,700 other Phase 1A health care and front-line staff.

No plans for new sign-ups

There are no plans to make new sign-ups available next week for those still trying to get first doses. The department says it continues to schedule appointments “based on the limited supply of vaccine that it has on hand.”

“That may change pending receipt of supply or additional guidance from the state,” county officials said. “At this time, no first-dose clinics with vaccine administered or provided by the ACHD will be scheduled for next week.”

The county is moving forward with about 1,400 second-dose appointments Monday and Tuesday, which include people who received their first dose at the Monroeville vaccination clinic Jan. 25 and 26.

Those who are due for a second dose from the county health department Monday or Tuesday who have not received a registration link by email should call 2-1-1 to register for an appointment by phone.

Nationwide, as of the beginning of February, 96% of people who received a covid-19 vaccine got their second dose within three to four weeks, CDC data show.

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