Pitt vaccination center to offer flu shots, expanded hours

Pitt’s CoVax Vaccination Center will offer flu shots starting next Wednesday and recently expanded its hours to daily operation.

Flu clinics will be held at the Petersen Events Center Sept. 15 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sept. 21 from 6:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. There will also be a flu clinic at the HealthyU Fair Sept. 29, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., outside the William Pitt Union.

Those with UPMC Health Plan coverage can receive a flu shot at no cost, as well as a Wellness Incentive credit.

The center — located at the bottom of Nordenberg Hall — accepts both walk-ins and scheduled appointments for all three COVID-19 vaccines, including the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, which recently received full approval from the U.S. government.

Melissa McGivney, the co-director of the COVID-19 Medical Response Office, said in a press release that Pfizer’s FDA approval will hopefully make people feel more comfortable about the vaccine.

“The FDA’s full approval of the Pfizer vaccine should continue to give people confidence in vaccinations as a safe and effective tool in the fight against this public health crisis,” McGivney, associate dean for community partnerships and professor of pharmacy and therapeutics in Pitt’s School of Pharmacy, said.

Pitt community members can also use CoVax as a resource for COVID-19 related questions, such as what to do about a lost vaccination card, discussing vaccination with hesitant friends or family members and whether a COVID-19 vaccination is right for them.