Staffers of UPMC Urgent Care pitched tents and lugged boxes of vaccines in the Lemieux Sports Complex parking lot against a cloudy, windy Sunday morning.
And though temperatures hovered just above 40 degrees, that didn’t stop dozens of area residents from driving by for their flu shots. By the time the drive-through flu shot clinic wrapped, 182 total vaccines had been given.
“We’ve had a rush,” said Jessica Kalcevic, practice manager for University of Pittsburgh Physicians, who supervised the Cranberry event, at 8000 Cranberry Springs Drive, this year and last. “There was a family of four, family of five, then there was a van of six.”
Medical workers, sporting fleeces and winter beanies, braved the elements from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for the no-cost vaccine drive for ages 4 and up — offered ahead of peak flu season to build immunity among the community.
“It’s so convenient,” said Kris Rickabaugh, 45, of Warrendale. “You don’t even have to leave your car.”
Mr. Rickabaugh said he gets the jab every year, but Sunday morning’s drive-through was the most seamless process he’s experienced.
Two years in, the Cranberry pop-up, despite the occasional screaming child, has been a resounding success. The health workers estimated they gave out 100 shots last year. On Sunday, they hit that mark 100 after 90 minutes.
“We did a lot, especially compared to last year,” said Ms. Kalcevic.
Most patients were in and out within five minutes.
“It’ll just be a quick pinch,” one worker administering the shots said to a grimacing recipient, as he averted his eyes.
UPMC plans to offer the same service next fall, and might schedule two dates depending on demand.
The shot takes about two weeks to reach full effectiveness, according to the Mayo Clinic. That makes October the ideal time for most to get the jab, as flu season ramps up in November and continues through February, before starting to taper off in March.
In addition to UPMC’s clinics, patients can generally receive flu shots from their primary care providers, and vaccines.gov offers a repository of pharmacies and other locations offering the influenza vaccine (as well as the new COVID shots).
Allegheny County’s seasonal tally of confirmed influenza cases has bounced quite a bit in recent years, with the number dipping below 400 during the 2020-21 flu season because of nationwide quarantine during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Allegheny County Health Department. The 2021-2022 season saw 13,890 cases; as of Sept. 30, the ACHD reported 16,169 cases of influenza to date for the 2022-2023 flu season. This includes 80 hospitalizations and 24 deaths.
The true numbers are likely higher, since many people don’t get tested for the flu.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that everyone aged 6 months and older get inoculated against influenza annually, as vaccines are modified to accommodate new strains.
Jon Rice, 30, of Wexford, beamed after getting the jab.
“If it can increase awareness, destigmatize vaccines and reduce illness, then I’m all for it,” he said. “It’s great that you don’t even have to go to the doctor.”
Nicole Myers, who lives an hour south of Cranberry, brought her 19-year-old daughter.
“It’s such a nice service they’re offering the community,” she said. “I hope they do it every year.”
Neena Hagen: nhagen@post-gazette.com
First Published: October 15, 2023, 7:47 p.m.
Updated: October 15, 2023, 11:37 p.m.
