COVID-19 Vaccination at Pittsburgh Mercy

The COVID-19 vaccines are designed to prevent the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19. The COVID-19 vaccines are our best shot at hope for ending the pandemic and getting life back to “normal.” Pittsburgh Mercy is committed to keeping our communities informed and educated about the vaccines and the steps to take to help keep our communities safe.

Getting a COVID-19 vaccine is an easy step you can take to protect others and help keep you, your family, and our communities safe.

Pittsburgh Mercy is committed to vaccinating people and communities who are the most vulnerable. We’re working with community partners to help ensure equitable distribution of the vaccine. The Pennsylvania Department of Health has prioritized vaccine distribution in several phases.

Schedule Your COVID-19 Vaccination Appointment – All Adults Are Now Eligible

  • Currently we have the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine for adults 18 years and older. (Moderna is only authorized for use in adults 18 years and older.)
  • Some late night and weekend appointments are available.
  • Scheduling an appointment will guarantee that you have a vaccination that day.
  • These are smaller vaccination sites, so the wait times are minimal.
  • If no appointments are currently available, please be patient and check back often. We add appointments as additional vaccine supply comes to us.
  • To schedule an appointment, please complete this form. 

SCHEDULE A COVID-19 VACCINATION APPOINTMENT NOW

  • Vaccine supply has significantly improved. Scheduling is first-come, first-serve. Once your appointment is scheduled, you are guaranteed a vaccination that day.
  • We are working hard to vaccinate as many eligible people and communities as possible.
  • If you require assistance to complete the form, please call Pittsburgh Mercy Family Health Center at 412-697-3260.

COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic Location

Appointments are required.

Pittsburgh Mercy South Side COVID-19 Vaccination Clinic
249 South 9th Street, Second Floor
Pittsburgh, PA 15203.

Printer-friendly directions

Parking is free. Enter the building on the side that faces Mt. Washington. Take the stairs or elevator to the second floor and follow the signs.

Note: Pittsburgh Mercy’s COVID-19 South Side Vaccination Clinic is located at the same address as Pittsburgh Mercy Family Health Center. Parking is free. The site is accessible by public transit.

Before Your Appointment

  • Read and complete the Pittsburgh Mercy COVID-19 Immunization Registration, Acknowledgement, and Consent Form. If you need help completing the form or do not have access to a printer, we can give you the form and help you complete it at your appointment.
  • Read as much as you can about the COVID-19 vaccine, including the vaccine Fact Sheet and other resources listed in the Helpful COVID-19 Resources section at the bottom of this page.
  • Write down questions you have about your health and the vaccine.
  • Talk with your doctor ahead of time to see if the vaccine is right for you.
  • Plan what you will wear to your appointment. We recommend wearing a short-sleeve shirt and loose-fitting, comfortable clothing.
  • Plan how you will get to your appointment.
  • If you have a history of allergies and carry an EpiPen®, please bring it to your appointment. If you forget, it’s OK. We will have them at the vaccination sites.
  • To help stop the spread of the virus, please continue to wear a mask, stay 6 feet apart, avoid crowds and gatherings, and wash your hands. If you do not feel well, stay home.
  • Optional: Use an ice pack or a cool pack on your arm for 20 minutes prior to your appointment

What to Bring to Your First Dose (Dose 1) Appointment

  • Please arrive on time for your appointment. To ensure proper physical distancing, please do not arrive early.
  • Photo identification.
  • Your signed Pittsburgh Mercy COVID-19 Immunization Registration, Acknowledgement, and Consent Form.(Bring the form to your Dose 1 and Dose 2 appointments.) If you need help completing the form or do not have access to a printer, we can give you the form and help you complete it at your appointment.
  • Wear your mask. If you do not have one, we will give you one at your appointment. If you cannot wear a mask for medical reasons, please tell us when you arrive for your appointment.
  • Questions you may have.
  • Optional: An ice pack or a cool pack.

What to Bring to Your Second Dose (Dose 2) Appointment

  • Please arrive on time for your appointment. To ensure proper physical distancing, please do not arrive early.
  • Photo identification.
  • Your COVID-19 Vaccination Record Card, the small white card that you received at your first appointment. If you have lost your card, please let us know when you arrive for your appointment.
  • Your signed Pittsburgh Mercy COVID-19 Immunization Registration, Acknowledgement, and Consent Form.(Bring the form to your Dose 1 and Dose 2 appointments.) If you need help completing the form or do not have access to a printer, we can give you the form and help you complete it at your appointment.
  • Wear your mask. If you do not have one, we will give you one at your appointment. If you cannot wear a mask for medical reasons, please tell us when you arrive for your appointment.
  • Questions you may have.
  • Optional: An ice pack or a cool pack.

What to Expect During Your Appointment

Your appointment will take approximately 30 minutes. If you have a history of allergies, your appointment may take 15-30 minutes longer.

  • If driving, signs will direct you to free parking. Our vaccination sites are fully accessible.
  • A helpful greeter will welcome you, show you where to go, and introduce you to the person who will register you. This person will ask you a few questions and schedule your appointment for your second dose of the vaccine, if a second appointment is needed. (Note: A second-dose appointment is needed for the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines.)
  • The registration person will introduce you to the person who will give your vaccination.
  • Your vaccinator will ask you to confirm your name, give you the vaccination, and give you a U.S. Department of Health & Human Services and U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) COVID-19 Vaccination Record Card, also known as a “vaccination card.” Keep your vaccination card in a secure place where you keep other important documents. Store away from heat, light, and moisture. Do not laminate your card.
  • After you are vaccinated, you will go to an observation room, where one of our friendly nurses will monitor you for 15 minutes. Note: Persons with a history of severe allergies will be observed for 30 minutes after vaccination.
  • Please keep your mask on at all times. Please do not eat or drink until after you leave the building.

After Your Appointment

  • Optional: Use an ice pack or a cool pack on your arm for 20 minutes.
  • Apply a clean, cool, wet washcloth over the area you were vaccinated.
  • Use or exercise your arm frequently.
  • Dress in light, comfortable, and loose-fitting clothes.
  • Drink plenty of fluids.
  • Get plenty of rest.
  • Monitor your health.
  • Soreness in the arm in which you were vaccinated is a common side effect. 7 out of 10 people who get the vaccine will experience soreness like they would after a bee sting. If the soreness does not improve or increases after 24 hours, call your doctor and ask about taking over-the-counter pain reliever, such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen.
  • If you have any symptoms that concern you, or if your side effects do not go away within a few days, please let us know and call your doctor.
  • If you develop a tickle or tingling in your throat, hives, rash, feel faint, a racing heart, or have trouble breathing, do not wait. Call your doctor or call 911. Also, call your vaccination provider (if different from your doctor).
  • Optional, but encouraged: Sign up for v-safe, a free, smartphone-based tool that uses text messaging and web surveys to provide personalized health check-ins after your COVID-19 vaccination.
  • Even after you have been vaccinated, and until the pandemic is over, please continue to wear a mask, stay 6 feet apart, avoid crowds and gatherings, and wash your hands. Continued practice of these important safety measures protects you and vulnerable people and communities who have not been vaccinated.
  • Become a vaccine ambassador.
    • Talk about your vaccination experience with your family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, and others. Encourage them to get vaccinated when it’s their turn.
    • Follow Pittsburgh Mercy and Trinity Health on social media.
    • Share COVID-19 vaccine facts and trusted resources on social media.

Helpful COVID-19 Vaccine Resources

We put together this list of trusted, helpful resources where you can learn more about the COVID-19 vaccines and more. Resources are listed in alphabetical order.

Language Assistance Resources

  • For the Non-English Speaking/English as a Second Language Community

Please use the language assistance tool in the lower right portion of the screen. If you require additional assistance, please contact 1-877-637-2924.

  • For the Hard of Hearing & Deaf Communities

Please contact our Specialized Service Coordination Unit at 412-515-8225. Note: This telephone number is only for use by members of the hard of hearing and deaf communities.

Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine Resources

Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine Resources

Johnson & Johnson/Janssen Biotech COVID-19 Vaccine Resources

Pittsburgh Mercy COVID-19 Vaccination Forms & Information

Other Helpful COVID-19 Resources

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About the COVID-19 Vaccines

We know you have many questions. We’re listening. We put together this list of Frequently Asked Questions to empower you in your vaccine decision making. If you have questions specific to your health, please discuss with your doctor prior to your vaccination appointment.

Which COVID-19 vaccines is Pittsburgh Mercy administering?

Pittsburgh Mercy is currently administering the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, which the U.S. Food & Drug Administration has authorized for emergency use in adults ages 18 years and older.

Are the COVID-19 vaccines safe?

All of the COVID-19 vaccines being used have gone through rigorous, independent scientific studies to ensure they are as safe as possible. All of the COVID-19 vaccines in use are safe and highly effective at reducing severe illness, hospitalization, and death. We have every confidence in the U.S. Food & Drug Administration Emergency Use Authorization (FDA EUA) process. Watch a video describing the FDA EUA process. There are robust systems in place that allow the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA), the Pennsylvania Department of Health, the Allegheny County Health Department, and others to watch for and respond to safety issues.

Is it safe for me to get a COVID-19 vaccine if I have an underlying medical condition?

People with underlying medical conditions can receive the FDA-authorized COVID-19 vaccines provided they have not had an immediate or a severe allergic reaction to a COVID-19 vaccine or to any of the ingredients of the vaccine. Learn more about considerations for people with underlying medical conditions. If you have questions specific to your health, please discuss with your health care provider.

Is it safe for me to get a COVID-19 vaccine if I am pregnant or breastfeeding?

People who are pregnant are part of a group recommended to receive the COVID-19 vaccine may choose to be vaccinated. If you have questions about whether the vaccine is right for you, please discuss with your health care provider. Breastfeeding is rarely a safety concern with vaccines. No data are available yet on the safety of COVID-19 vaccines in lactating women. Learn more about COVID-19 vaccination considerations for people who are pregnant or breastfeeding.

Can my child be vaccinated?

The vaccines that are currently authorized for emergency use are not yet approved for persons younger than 16 years old.

  • The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine is authorized for individuals 16 years and above.
  • The Moderna COVID-19 vaccine is authorized for those 18 years and above.
  • The Johnson & Johnson/Janssen Biotech COVID-19 vaccine is authorized for individuals 18 years and above.

Additional study of the safety and efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccines in infants, children, and adolescents is under way. Now may be a good time to get caught up on other child and adolescent vaccinations and well visits you may have put off due to COVID-19. It will also give you the chance to discuss questions with your child’s doctor.

Are the COVID-19 vaccines effective?

The COVID-19 vaccines that have received U.S. Food & Drug Administration Emergency Use Authorizations (FDA EUAs) have high efficacy (effectiveness) rates.

  • The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine is 95% effective after two doses.
  • The Moderna COVID-19 vaccine is 94.1% effective after two doses.
  • The Johnson & Johnson/Janssen Biotech vaccine is 66.3% effective after one dose.

Persons who receive the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna COVID-19 vaccines must receive two doses of the vaccine to benefit fully from the vaccine’s efficacy rate. The Johnson & Johnson/Janssen Biotech COVID-19 vaccine requires requires only one dose.

What are the ingredients in COVID-19 vaccines?

Vaccine ingredients vary by manufacturer. The Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson/Janssen COVID-19 vaccines do not contain eggs, preservatives, or latex. For a full list of ingredients, please refer to each vaccine’s Fact Sheet for Recipients and Caregivers:

What side effects can I expect after I am vaccinated?

COVID-19 vaccination will help protect you from getting COVID-19. You may have some side effects, which are normal signs that your body is building protection against the virus. These side effects may affect your ability to do daily activities, but they should go away in a few days. Common side effects include soreness or pain and swelling at the injection site on the arm where you received the vaccine. Fatigue, headache, fever, chills, tiredness, swelling, joint pain, and nausea are also possible. In most cases, discomfort from fever or pain is normal. Side effects may be more pronounced after the second dose of the vaccine. Contact your doctor or health care provider:

  • If the redness or tenderness where you got the shot increases after 24 hours
  • If your side effects concern you or do not seem to be going away after a few days.

Please report any side effects that concern you to your doctor, to your vaccination site, and to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) or through v-safe, the smartphone-based, after-vaccination health checker tool.

What are the long-term side effects from the vaccines?

Because COVID and the COVID-19 vaccines are relatively new, very little data about long-term side effects is available. However, this is something that public health officials are watching closely over the long-term. These vaccines will continue to be held to the same high safety standards as all vaccines.

If I have a reaction after getting a COVID-19 vaccine, what should I do?

Serious problems from vaccination – whether the COVID-19 vaccine or another type of vaccine – are rare. Anaphylaxis (a type of severe allergic reaction) has occurred in only 2-5 people per every 1 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine that have been administered*. When you get a COVID-19 vaccine, you will be monitored for 15 minutes after your appointment (30 minutes if you have a history of severe allergies). If you get a COVID-19 vaccine and you think you might be having a severe allergic reaction after you leave the vaccination clinic, seek immediate medical care by calling 911. Learn more about COVID-19 vaccines and rare severe allergic reactions.

Can I get COVID-19 from the vaccine?

No. The Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines use messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) technology. The vaccines do not contain the live virus that causes COVID-19. mRNA technology has been used in science for many years. The Johnson & Johnson/Janssen Biotech COVID-19 vaccine is a viral vector vaccine. mRNA vaccines and viral vector vaccines do not affect or interact with our genetic makeup (DNA) in any way.

Someone I know tested positive for COVID-19 a few days after getting the vaccine. How is that possible?

You cannot contract COVID-19 from the vaccine. It takes at least two weeks for your body to develop immunity after getting the vaccine. The person may have been infected with the virus but not shown symptoms, or they could have contracted the virus a few days before their body developed immunity in response to the vaccine. In rare instances, “breakthrough” COVID-19 cases have been reported post-vaccination. In these instances, the symptoms have been milder. All of the COVID-19 vaccines in use are highly effective. None are 100% effective.

How were the vaccines produced so fast?

The vaccines were developed in response to worldwide demand and the urgent need to stop this pandemic. The vaccines that are in use went through rigorous scientific review process. No steps were skipped or missed during the U.S. Food & Drug Administration’s Emergency Use Authorization (FDA EUA) process.

Do I need two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine?

With most COVID-19 vaccines, you will need two shots in order for them to work. If you received the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna COVID-19 vaccines, then yes, you need to get a second vaccination to ensure that you get the most protection from the vaccine’s effectiveness rate. Get the second shot even if you have side effects after the first shot, unless a vaccination provider or your doctor tells you not to get a second shot. You should not get the second dose any sooner than the recommended timeframe.

  • If you received the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, you will get your second dose at least 21 days (at least 3 weeks) after your first dose.
  • If you receive the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, you will get your second dose at least 28 days (at least 4 weeks) after your first dose.
  • Regardless of which two-dose COVID-19 vaccine you receive, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) recommends the second dose be given within 42 days (6 weeks) of the first dose.

You should get your second vaccination as close to the recommended time as possible based on vaccine availability. The date and time of your second vaccination was noted on the vaccination card that you received at your first appointment. If you have lost or misplaced your vaccination card, call 412-697-3260 or let us know when you arrive for your second dose appointment.

  • If you received the Johnson & Johnson/Janssen Biotech COVID-19 vaccine, you only need one dose.

When will I be considered “fully vaccinated?”

It takes time for your body to build protection after any vaccination. People are considered fully vaccinated:

  • 2 weeks after the second shot in a two-shot series, like the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna COVID-19 vaccines.
  • 2 weeks after getting the single shot of the Johnson & Johnson/Janssen Biotech COVID-19 vaccine.

You are not fully vaccinated if:

  • It has been less than 2 weeks since your one-dose shot.
  • It has been less than 2 weeks since your second shot in a two-dose series.
  • You still need to get your second dose of a two-dose series.

If I get a COVID-19 vaccination, how long does protection last?

We don’t know how long protection lasts for those who are vaccinated. What we do know is that COVID-19 has caused very serious illness and death for a lot of people. If you get COVID-19, you also risk giving it to loved ones who may get very sick. Getting a COVID-19 vaccine is a safer choice.

Can I get my COVID-19 vaccination at the same time as another vaccination?

No. Wait at least 14 days before getting any other vaccination, including the flu vaccine or the shingles vaccine. If you’ve had another vaccine, then wait at least 14 days before getting a COVID-19 vaccine.

I’ve already had COVID-19. Do I need to be vaccinated?

Yes. Due to the severe health risks associated with COVID-19 and the fact that reinfection with COVID-19 is possible, you should be vaccinated regardless of whether you already had COVID-19 infection. If you were treated for COVID-19 symptoms with monoclonal antibodies or convalescent plasma, you should wait 90 days before getting a COVID-19 vaccine. Talk to your doctor if you are unsure what treatments you received or if you have more questions about getting a COVID-19 vaccine. Experts do not yet know how long someone is protected from getting sick again after recovering from COVID-19. The immunity someone gains from having an infection, called “natural immunity,” varies from person to person. It is rare, but possible for someone who has had COVID-19 to get infected again. It also is uncommon for people who do get COVID-19 again to get it within 90 days of when they recovered from their first infection. We won’t know how long immunity produced by vaccination lasts until we have more data on how well the vaccines work. Both natural immunity and vaccine-induced immunity are important aspects of COVID-19 that experts are working to learn more about.

Will I have to pay for the vaccine?

The federal government is providing the COVID-19 vaccine free of charge to all people living in the United States, regardless of their immigration or health insurance statuses. Pittsburgh Mercy is permitted to charge an administration fee for giving you the vaccine. We can be reimbursed for this by your public or private insurance company. If you do not have insurance, we can seek reimbursement from the Health Resources and Services Administration’s Provider Relief Fund. No one can be denied a vaccine if they are unable to pay the vaccine administration fee.

What can I do to protect myself before and after getting the vaccine?

We don’t yet know whether getting the COVID-19 vaccine will prevent you from spreading the virus that causes COVID-19 to others. Until we learn more, it will take all of us continuing to work together to help stop this pandemic. To protect yourself and others, please continue to do the following, even after you’ve been vaccinated:

  • Wear a well-fitted mask that covers your nose and mouth.
  • Stay at least 6 feet from others
  • Avoid crowds, gatherings, and unnecessary travel.
  • Wash your hands often. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol content.

When will more vaccines be available?

Vaccine supply is improving. All providers – including Pittsburgh Mercy – are working hard to ensure the vaccines are distributed in a fair and equitable manner and to every person who wants one. It’s going to take time. We thank you for your continued patience.

For more FAQs and other helpful information, please visit the Allegheny County Health Department, Pennsylvania Department of Health, U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) websites.

Last Updated: April 13, 2021

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