Updated April 18, 2023
The Pitt Vaccination and Health Connection Hub
All currently available COVID-19 vaccines are available at the Pitt Vaccination and Health Connection Hub, conveniently located on the Pittsburgh campus, next to University Pharmacy. Appointments preferred. Register here today! Walk-ins welcome based on unfilled appointments.
About The Hub
Building on the University's successful COVID-19 response, the Pitt Vaccination and Health Connection Hub connects students, faculty and staff—as well as the general public—to clinical services and health-maintenance resources. It also serves as an interprofessional learning laboratory for Pitt health sciences students.
Previously called the Pitt CoVax Vaccination Center, The Hub helped to vaccinate thousands of people during the pandemic. Now, we’re focused on sustaining what we’ve learned from the pandemic, and using those lessons to better our campus and community.
- Frequently Asked Questions: Vaccines
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Who needs protection?
Everyone needs protection.
Some people are naturally less likely to experience complications if they get sick with the virus that causes COVID-19. Some people will get the virus and never develop any symptoms. Other people are not as lucky. Some have compromised immune systems and are not able to develop a strong protective immune response. Immune systems are highly complicated. But it means that higher-risk people must rely on the rest of us to get vaccinated to protect them from getting seriously ill with the virus. This reliance on others is called herd immunity. When a higher percentage of the people in a population are protected, the more protection they offer to the small number of people whose bodies are not able to mount an effective immune response on their own.
Aren’t COVID-19 vaccines experimental?
No, none of the COVID-19 vaccines are “experimental.” These vaccines are evidence-based. They have been given to many millions of people. We have seen how safe and effective they are. They have undergone the same rigorous testing as every other vaccine that people get, like the flu vaccine. The FDA authorized the Pfizer, Moderna and J&J vaccines for “emergency use” because the COVID-19 pandemic caused a global public health emergency. Full approvals for COVID-19 vaccines are not being rushed.
What about variants?
As time passes, the virus that causes COVID-19 changes in small ways to evade the protections people have developed against it. This is how viruses survive. When more of us are vaccinated, the virus has less opportunity to mutate into new variants that could infect new people or re-infect recovered COVID-19 patients.
Even if you had COVID-19 before, it is important to get vaccinated. The version of the virus you may have survived months ago may not be the same version of the virus that is currently circulating and infecting people.
We also do not know yet how long immunity to the virus that causes COVID-19 lasts. That means, if you had COVID-19 months ago, and are relying solely on your body’s immune response from back then to fight off new variants of the virus, you are not as protected as you could be right now. The vaccines are highly effective at preventing severe disease and hospitalization, even from these new variants.
No matter how it feels, COVID-19 is not over. This virus is constantly changing. We need to use every tool available to shut down the pandemic—and vaccines are the strongest tools we have.
I’ve had COVID-19 and tested positive for COVID-19 antibodies. Isn’t that sufficient protection?
Vaccination provides a more predictable response and demonstrable efficacy against the coronavirus variants. The antibody tests are not designed to assess if patients are protected against COVID-19, but rather the presence of some antibodies. Refer to the CDC page on antibodies and COVID-19 for details. Those who have had COVID-19 still need to be vaccinated to have the best protection.
Can I provide proof of COVID-19 immunity from an antibody test rather than proof of vaccination?
No, even if you had COVID-19 before, it is important to get vaccinated. The version of the virus you may have survived months ago may not be the same version of the virus that is currently circulating and infecting people.
We also do not know yet how long immunity to the virus that causes COVID-19 lasts. That means, if you had COVID-19 months ago, and are relying solely on your body’s immune response from back then to fight off new variants of the virus, you are not as protected as you could be right now. The vaccines are highly effective at preventing severe disease and hospitalization, even from these new variants. Learn why the CDC recommends a vaccine for people who had COVID-19.
What are the vaccine requirements for international Pitt students?
International students may have already been vaccinated outside of the U.S. If you are a student who received the full dose of a vaccine approved by the World Health Organization while abroad and are planning to be on a Pitt campus this fall, you are considered fully vaccinated and you are encouraged to disclose your vaccination status and details to Pitt.
If you are partially vaccinated before you arrive on campus, you are able to get one of the three vaccines currently available in the U.S.—Pfizer, Moderna or J&J. The same is true for any student, faculty or staff member who has already received full or partial doses of a vaccine not approved by the World Health Organization.
International students with questions should contact the Office of International Services.
Questions?
Drop by the Vaccination Center at Nordenberg Hall. Our pharmacists can help determine which vaccine is right for you. Check out the CDC's Frequently Asked Questions about COVID-19 Vaccination.
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Additional Resources