Updated COVID-19 shots are now available at the Pitt Vaccination and Health Connection Hub.
The Hub is offering the Pfizer vaccine for ages 5 and up, and the Moderna vaccine for ages 12 and up.
The new vaccines are available at The Hub at 4041 Fifth Ave., at the base of Nordenberg Hall, on a walk-in basis or by making appointments. Appointments are strongly recommended for a streamlined experience.
While previous shots were paid for through the federal government, you’ll need to use your health insurance for this one.
“Now, the vaccine is considered a vaccine like all other routine adult vaccines, so it's paid for in the same way,” through health insurance, said Melissa McGivney, professor of pharmacy and therapeutics and executive director of The Hub.
The Hub accepts most major insurance plans.
For those who are un- or under-insured and wish to get their vaccine elsewhere, the federal BRIDGE Access Program is available at select locations, or you can visit vaccines.gov to find out where you can get the updated COVID-19 vaccine for free.
Unlike previous COVID-19 vaccine rollouts, “we are not calling these boosters,” McGivney said. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recommendations for staying up to date with COVID-19 vaccinations will continue to evolve as we learn more about how the virus continues to evolve, she added.
The new shots come as fall infections have been rising — CDC data indicates that new hospitalizations have roughly tripled from a low in June.
The Pitt News reported this week that some students and Pitt employees, particularly those with disabilities, are unhappy about the COVID-19 Medical Response Office at Pitt ceasing operations at the beginning of August. The CMRO sent out an email in July saying that effective Aug. 1, the University would discontinue maintaining institutional requirements — except for the vaccine policy, which requires proof of vaccination for all new students and employees without an approved exception.
The CMRO emphasized in its farewell message that “if you feel ill, please stay home regardless of the cause. Again, it is the personal responsibility of individuals to protect the health of the community.”
Those who test positive for COVID-19 should isolate at home for at least five days and wear a mask in public until at least day 11, according to CDC guidelines. If you have been exposed to COVID-19 through a close contact, you should wear a mask in public for a full 10 days. Otherwise, masks are not required on campus.
Leigh Patel, a professor in the School of Education who has multiple sclerosis, told The Pitt News that closing the CMRO indicates that Pitt is “done taking care of the public health.”
“That statement (from the CMRO, saying) public health just really relies on individuals’ decisions — that’s not public health. That makes it an oxymoron,” Patel said.
If you are symptomatic, students can be tested for COVID-19 at student health services on their campus, faculty and staff can be tested through MyHealth@Work, and anyone may purchase rapid COVID-19 tests at the University Pharmacy.