UPMC covid vaccine clinic at Valley High School to be open to community

An upcoming covid vaccination clinic at Valley High School in New Kensington will be open to the community, acting Superintendent Jon Banko said Friday.

UPMC will conduct the clinic from 3 to 6 p.m. Wednesday in the school’s gymnasium. In addition to residents, it will also be available to district employees and students age 16 and older with their parents’ consent.

A link to register for the clinic will be available on the district’s website by Monday, Banko said.

Banko said UPMC will be offering appointments, but they will not be required. While walk-ups will be accepted, he said UPMC would prefer people to preregister.

Wednesdays are virtual instruction days in New Kensington-Arnold School district. “We will still have a security checkpoint, but there won’t be kids in the building,” Banko said.

The two-dose Pfizer vaccine will be administered. A clinic for the second shot will be held at the school three weeks later, from 3 to 6 p.m. June 2.

The district is asking residents interested in receiving the vaccine to complete a survey on the district’s website. Banko said the survey will remain available until UPMC’s registration link is posted.

The district asks that one survey be completed per household. It asks for respondents’ names, if any students live in the household, contact information, and how many students and adults would get the vaccine.

UPMC said it had administered nearly 518,000 covid-19 vaccine doses as of Friday. Of those, nearly 33,000 have been administered at special events, including clinics in partnership with the Pittsburgh Penguins and other local organizations.