Why use booster shots?

For tetanus and other inoculations, booster shots help the waning of immune memory.

The ability of the vaccines to keep your immune system protecting you may decrease over time, according to the FDA and the CDC.

Because questions about who should get boosters continues to evolve, we're pointing you to this Pitt vaccine clinic page, which draws on Pitt and national experts.

We also encourage you to check with your doctor for the latest information.  

Vetting Boosters

Clinician researchers will continue to vet COVID-19 boosters here in Pittsburgh.

Led by Judy Martin, professor of pediatrics, the University of Pittsburgh Vaccine Trials Unit (PVTU) is participating in a national study of adult booster shots for the COVID-19 vaccine. It is one of 12 sites for this clinical trial series that assesses the safety, reactions and immune response of a delayed vaccine boost. The study is expected to run through May 2025.

“This is an adaptive study design,” Martin told WESA FM. “So we continue to bring in additional vaccines [including those targeting variants] over time to look at the combinations.”   —Gavin Jenkins