For Rhonda Chiocca, receiving her first COVID-19 vaccine felt like a “blessing.” In her bright pink t-shirt and fuchsia mask, the 70-year-old was among a number of Pennsylvanians to get their Pfizer-BioNTech shot at Heinz Field Tuesday.
“I’m really excited for everyone getting their vaccine,” Chiocca said. “There’s a light at the end of the tunnel.”
The clinic was organized by Giant Eagle and the Pittsburgh Steelers and will take place through Friday on the North Shore. Giant Eagle spokesperson Jannah Jablonowski said about 4,000 people will be inoculated. Appointments, which are necessary for the clinic, were gone within hours of slots opening.
“It's been challenging to find an appointment and we understand that,” Jablonowski said. “So to be able to be here today and see how happy and how excited and relieved people are to be able to get this vaccine and have a successful appointment is exciting for us.”
Most patients expressed gratitude that the process was so swift, with one woman remarking that she’d still have time for a proper lunch. Individuals walked in through the stadium gate underneath the scoreboard, signed-in and were escorted to an available pharmacist. After the vaccine was administered, patients waited for 15 minutes in a separate room in case of adverse reactions.
The process, Jablonowski said, was modeled after Giant Eagle’s mass vaccination experiences for school teachers in Ohio.
“Our pharmacy teams have a really good model down and have had a really good system in place over the past few weeks to figure out exactly how to streamline an event,” she said.
Patients will return in three weeks for their second dose.
