COVID-19 Vaccine Opportunity On Campus This Friday
Dear Members of the Carnegie Mellon University Community:
We are pleased to update you about a new opportunity to receive a COVID-19 vaccination. Our partners at the Allegheny Health Network (AHN) will hold a vaccine clinic in Wiegand Gymnasium on Friday, April 30, open to all CMU community members.
AHN is dedicating 2,000 appointments, available on a first-come, first-served basis to our community. To schedule an appointment, visit AHN’s vaccination registration page and select the CMU campus venue as your preferred location. We encourage your timely action to secure your vaccine as soon as possible. AHN will be offering both the Pfizer and Johnson and Johnson Janssen (J&J) vaccine during this clinic, and recipients can choose based on personal preference.
PA Governor Tom Wolf has urged all college students to receive a COVID-19 vaccine before the end of the semester. We are grateful to AHN for this latest opportunity to deliver timely vaccinations to students and our CMU community.
J&J Vaccine Details
The J&J vaccine, available for people 18 and older, is a one-dose vaccine that offers our students the opportunity to be fully vaccinated before they depart campus. We know the pause in distribution of this vaccine gave rise to important questions about safety.
Since the April 13 announcement, the CDC and FDA have partnered to complete a thorough safety review of the J&J vaccine. They conducted extensive outreach to providers and clinicians to discuss the extremely rare incidence of blood clots that had been reported.
Last Friday, April 23, the CDC and FDA released a joint statement declaring use of the J&J COVID-19 vaccine should be resumed in the United States: “The FDA and CDC have confidence that this vaccine is safe and effective in preventing COVID-19. The FDA has determined that the available data show that the vaccine’s known and potential benefits outweigh its known and potential risks in individuals 18 years of age and older.”
Pfizer Vaccine Details
The Pfizer vaccine, available to people aged 16 and older, requires a second dose, which will be administered on campus on May 21. We know this will take place after finals conclude and some students will have already departed for the summer. Increased national supply of the vaccine means that students who depart campus but remain in the U.S. should have access to their second dose wherever they are located. Allegheny County Health Department advises students to present their vaccination card when securing a second dose of the Pfizer vaccine in other locations.
We are delighted to finally be able to offer our community the opportunity to receive a vaccination on campus. We recommend that those who haven’t yet received a vaccine take advantage of this important opportunity to do your part in protecting our collective health and well-being.
Sincerely,
Gina Casalegno
Vice President of Student Affairs and Dean of Students
Daryl Weinert
Chief of Staff and Vice President for Strategic Initiatives
COVID-19 Coordinator