Your Daily Guide

Where to Get Vaxxed in Pgh

With flu season upon us and an ongoing measles outbreak in PA, now is a better time than ever to get up to date on your vaccines. For a list of local vaccine providers and other info, check out the Allegheny County Immunization Coalition’s resource page. The state health department has a map of providers that vaccinate un- and underinsured children. [City Cast Pittsburgh / ACIC / PA DOH]

• Disturbingly, the CDC’s Vaccines.gov tool no longer works — when I put in my zip code I got an error message. The page stopped working last year. [CDC / Forbes]
• Visit the county’s Immunization Clinic Downtown to receive a comprehensive range of shots. See their list of accepted insurances and full fee schedule.
• Pitt’s Vaccination & Health Connection Hub is open to the public and offers free flu shots for Pitt students. But what I do every year is get a flu shot from Giant Eagle to earn $5 worth of those sweet, sweet Perk Points™️.
• How about COVID-19 vaccines? Pitt Vax Hub told me that they recommend all adults and children get this year’s COVID shot. Pitt just received a shipment of the new shot, but the county health department told me they're not expecting publicly available COVID shots until early to mid-October. [City Cast Pittsburgh]
• PA now recommends that 6 to 11-month-olds get an early MMR vaccine “in areas with a current measles outbreak.” Infants who receive early shots will still need two additional doses for full immunity. [PA DOH]

Deer Hunters Return to Public Parks

Another year brings another season of volunteer archers attempting to address overpopulation by hunting deer across a dozen city parks. The program is followed by periods of “targeted harvesting,” where USDA sharpshooters use firearms to hunt deer overnight in three parks. Last year’s program took out 250 deer and produced 26,400 meals for local food pantries. [City of Pittsburgh]

• An anonymous petition in Oakmont is urging the borough to end its own newly-instated deer management program, citing concerns over transparency and whether “humane alternatives” are possible. [TribLive]
• Do deer have to die? The evidence is mixed on non-lethal population control. A Cornell study found that surgically sterilizing deer didn’t meaningfully lower the population, while a program in Hastings-on-Hudson, New York found initial success with shooting contraceptive darts into deer. [Wildlife Society / Tufts]

ICE Detention Center Contract Up for Extension

The Clearfield County Board of Commissioners will vote tomorrow on whether to continue operations at Moshannon Valley Processing Center, a privately-owned ICE detention center where three people have died. It's the largest immigrant detention center in the Northeast. [Pennsylvania Capital-Star / WPSU]

• The county receives $200,000 a year to serve as middleman between ICE and GEO Group, the private contractor that runs the facility. PA's House Dems sent a letter demanding information on their financial relationships and how much taxpayer money has been steered to GEO Group. [Spotlight PA / PennLive]
• DHS has built a vast, nationwide detention apparatus that relies on cooperation and contracts with state and local governments. [🔒 n+1]

Federal Agency Blames Shell for Explosion

Poor safety protocols and lack of training caused the June 2025 explosion at Shell’s Beaver County ethane cracker plant, according to the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board. The explosion released over 5,000 pounds of ethylene, which can cause neurological conditions and respiratory irritation. [Allegheny Front / ATSDR]

• Shell was fined $26,000 by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration last December for the explosion. The company generated $18.1 billion in income in 2025. [Yahoo Finance]