PITTSBURGH — University of Pittsburgh Medical Center doctors fielded COVID-19 questions and concerns over the phone for more than half an hour Tuesday evening.
The bulk of the questions focused on the three vaccines currently available on the market.
“The Moderna and Pfizer perform better than the Johnson & Johnson vaccine,” Dr. Graham Snyder told one caller. “All three vaccines currently in use are safe and effective.”
UPMC doctors also made it clear that even after getting the vaccine, you’re not immediately in the clear. The town hall took place just hours after Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine announced his state was expanding vaccine eligibility. Its news that didn’t sit well with some younger Pennsylvanians.
“I feel like Ohio is smart for vaccinating 16 and older. If kids are going to parties, the virus obviously won’t spread as much,” said Nicholas Giannetta.
“The slower they vaccinate younger people, the more the COVID is going to spread. They should speed up the vaccination process,” said Michael Liu.
Nursing student Julia Fiordaliso said the news is frustrating, and other states seem to be passing Pennsylvania by.
“College students are going out too, so there is that risk as well,” she said.
In the meantime, it’s not clear when Pennsylvania will enter the next phase of the vaccine rollout.
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