Pitt’s undergrad student vaccination rate up to 87% on Oakland campus

Pitt officials said Thursday that 87% of undergraduate students on the Oakland campus have uploaded proof of vaccination against COVID-19.

According to an email sent by the COVID-19 Medical Response Office, of undergraduates living on campus, 96% submitted proof of vaccination, and 82% of those living off campus submitted proof of vaccination. The office also said 86% of graduate students, 77% of faculty and 80% of staff uploaded proof.

The University also said 92% of instructors who are scheduled to teach in person reported that they’re vaccinated. Pitt said it anticipates that overall vaccination trends are higher than recorded — closer to 90%. The CMRO encouraged all members of the Pitt community to provide their vaccination status.

Pitt’s mandatory weekly testing begins this week. Members of the University community who are unvaccinated or haven’t yet disclosed their vaccination status are required to comply with regular COVID-19 testing, as part of the University’s health guidelines. Those who do not comply with the testing may be subject to loss of building access and other disciplinary actions, the CMRO said.

The Pitt CoVax Vaccination Center is open six days a week for those who still need the vaccine. It offers all three vaccine types — Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson. Pitt said its testing center is “unique to the area,” offering conversations about the vaccine without judgment as well as public walk-ins. Anyone who gets vaccinated at the center in September can receive up to two free passes to the Carnegie Museums. 

The CMRO reminded students to bring their own masks to campus and to have their student ID ready to enter all on-campus buildings. They said Pitt community members need to avoid “risky behaviors,” such as large, unmasked gatherings, regardless of vaccination status.