Skip to Content
800-533-8762
  • Careers
  • Newsroom
  • Health Care Professionals
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
UPMC
  • Find a Doctor
  • Services
    • Frequently Searched Services
    • Frequently Searched Services
      Allergy & Immunology Behavioral & Mental Health Cancer Ear, Nose & Throat Endocrinology Gastroenterology Heart & Vascular Imaging Neurosciences Orthopaedics
      Physical Rehabilitation Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery Primary Care Senior Services Sports Medicine Telemedicine Transplant Surgery Walk-In Care Weight Management Women’s Health
      See all Services
    • Services by Region
    • Find a UPMC health care facility close to you quickly by browsing by region.
      UPMC in Western Pa. Western Pa. and New York
      UPMC in Central Pa. Central Pa.
      UPMC in North Central Pa. North Central Pa.
      UPMC in Western Md. Maryland & West Virginia
    • See All Services
  • Locations
    • Locations by Type
    • Locations by Type
      UPMC hospitals
      Hospitals
      Physical Therapy
      Physical Therapy
      Urgent care
      Walk-In Care
      UPMC Outpatient Centers
      Outpatient Centers
      UPMC Imaging Services
      Imaging
      Community Health Centers
      Community Health Centers
      See All Locations
    • Locations by Region
    • Locations by Region
      UPMC in Southwest Pa. Southwest Pa.
      UPMC in North Central Pa. North Central Pa.
      UPMC in Northwest Pa and Ny. Northwest Pa. & Western N.Y.
      UPMC in West Central Pa. West Central Pa.
      UPMC in Central Pa. Central Pa.
      UPMC in Western Md. Maryland & West Virginia
    • See All Locations
  • Patients & Visitors
    • Patient & Visitor Resources
    • Patient & Visitor Resources
      Patients and Visitors Resources Pay a Bill Classes & Events Medical Records Health Library Patient Information
      Patient Portals Privacy Information Shared Decision Making Traveling Patients Visitor Information
      Man uses mobile phone
      Pay a Bill
      Nurse reviews medical chart
      Request Medical Records
  • Patient Portals
  • Find Covid-19 updates
  • Schedule an appointment
  • Request medical records
  • Pay a bill
  • Learn about financial assistance
  • Find classes & events
  • Send a patient an eCard
  • Make a donation
  • Volunteer
  • Read HealthBeat blog
  • Explore UPMC Careers
Skip to Content
UPMC
  • Patient Portals
  • For Patients & Visitors
    • Find a Doctor
    • Locations
    • Patient & Visitor Resources
    • Pay a Bill
    • Services
    • More
      • Medical Records
      • Financial Assistance
      • Classes & Events
      • HealthBeat Blog
      • Health Library
  • About UPMC
    • Why UPMC
    • Facts & Stats
    • Supply Chain Management
    • Community Commitment
    • More
      • Financials
      • Support UPMC
      • UPMC Apps
      • UPMC Enterprises
      • UPMC International
  • For Health Care Professionals
    • Physician Information
    • Resources
    • Education & Training
    • Departments
    • Credentialing
  • Careers
  • Contact Us
  • Newsroom
  • UPMC >
  • Media Relations >
  • News Releases >
  • 071520 Operation Warp Speed COVID19 Vaccine Trials
Media Relations
News Releases
Central Pa. News
North Central Pa. News
Contact Us
Experts
Community-Focused News
Media Kits
Media RSS
Media Relations
News Releases
Central Pa. News
North Central Pa. News
Contact Us
Experts
Community-Focused News
Media Kits
Media RSS

Chat Keywords List

  • cancel or exit: Stops your conversation
  • start over: Restarts your current scenario
  • help: Shows what this bot can do
  • terms: Shows terms of use and privacy statement
  • feedback: Give us feedback
Continue
Chat with UPMC
RESTART
MENU
CLOSE

UPMC and Pitt Participate in Operation Warp Speed, Offer Opportunity for COVID-19 Vaccine Research in Western Pennsylvania

For Journalists

Erin Hare, Ph.D.
Manager, Science Writing
412-738-1097
HareE@upmc.edu

Andrea Yorchuck (Kunicky)
Senior Manager
412-552-7448
KunickyA@upmc.edu

Want to Make an Appointment or Need Patient Information?
Contact UPMC at

1-800-533-8762.

Go to Find a Doctor to search for a UPMC doctor.

2021 UPMC PITT HS

7/15/2020

To learn more and sign-up for the trials, visit https://www.coronaviruspreventionnetwork.org/clinical-study-volunteer/ or email https://www.pvtu.org/ or call 412-692-7382.

 

PITTSBURGH – Hundreds of people in Western Pennsylvania will have the opportunity to participate in clinical research trials for vaccines against the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, UPMC and the University of Pittsburgh announced today.

 

The trials are part of the COVID-19 Prevention Network and Operation Warp Speed, the national initiative to accelerate development of a safe and effective vaccine to protect recipients from SARS-CoV-2. Recruitment for the Pittsburgh site for the trials begins immediately, first for the vaccine being developed by Moderna, Inc., followed quickly by other candidate vaccines.

 

“Participating in Operation Warp Speed is a huge honor. This is a chance for Pittsburgh to have an impact that’s not just local or national – it’s going to be worldwide,” said Judy Martin, M.D., director of the Pittsburgh Vaccine Clinical Trials Unit at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh and professor of pediatrics at Pitt. “One of these vaccines will likely be successful — and hopefully more than one.”

 

Martin, who is directing the Pittsburgh site for the Moderna vaccine, and Sharon Riddler, M.D., director of clinical research in Pitt’s Division of Infectious Diseases, who is planning to direct the Pittsburgh site for a different, yet-to-be-announced vaccine, said the region was selected to participate in the trials because of its storied history in vaccine development, Dr. Jonas Salk’s leadership in developing a polio vaccine at Pitt, and Pitt and UPMC’s robust infrastructure and experience with running clinical trials.

 

“Pittsburgh has a tradition of being on the forefront of vaccine research,” said Riddler, who is also professor of medicine at Pitt. “Beyond that, people in Pittsburgh roll up their sleeves and do the work. We’re reliable and altruistic.”

 

Though they’ll be running separate trials testing different vaccines, Martin and Riddler are working together to ensure both trials fulfill their recruitment goals.

 

The Moderna vaccine uses synthetic messenger RNA to deliver instructions to cells telling them to produce some of the SARS-CoV-2 proteins, which provoke the immune system to respond, prepping it to quickly recognize and defeat the full virus in the future. It has been through smaller phase I and II human clinical trials to assess safety and determine that it provokes an immune response. The vaccine has been cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for a phase III clinical trial in thousands of people nationwide.

 

In total, the Pittsburgh site seeks to recruit 750 participants over age 18 who are not severely immunocompromised. Ideal participants are those who have a higher likelihood of being naturally exposed to SARS-CoV-2 due to their public activities or occupation, such as those living in more densely packed housing, restaurant and grocery store workers, public transit drivers, health care workers, or daycare and school teachers. People who belong to communities that have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 – such as Black and Latinx populations, older adults and those with certain underlying health conditions – will also be given priority consideration.

 

Participants will be randomly assigned to receive either the study vaccine or a placebo (saline) injection. Neither the participant, their clinician, nor the researchers will know whether the participant received the study vaccine or placebo. They will receive an initial immunization, which may be followed by a booster four weeks later. Participants will then be followed for one to two years with periodic blood tests to see if their immune systems are producing antibodies specific to the virus.

 

To learn more and sign-up for the trials, visit https://www.coronaviruspreventionnetwork.org/clinical-study-volunteer/ or email VTEU@chp.edu or call 412-692-7382.

 

This work is funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and grants made to Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh Foundation from the Richard King Mellon Foundation, the John G. Rangos, Sr. Charitable Foundation, Shear Family Foundation, and the Tull Family Foundation who collectively awarded $650,000 to help fund the COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials.

 

UPMC
200 Lothrop Street Pittsburgh, PA 15213

412-647-8762 800-533-8762

Patients And Visitors
  • Find a Doctor
  • Locations
  • Pay a Bill
  • Patient & Visitor Resources
  • Disabilities Resource Center
  • Services
  • Medical Records
  • No Surprises Act
  • Price Transparency
  • Financial Assistance
  • Classes & Events
  • Health Library
Health Care Professionals
  • Physician Information
  • Resources
  • Education & Training
  • Departments
  • Credentialing
Newsroom
  • Newsroom Home
  • Inside Life Changing Medicine Blog
  • News Releases
About
  • Why UPMC
  • Facts & Stats
  • Supply Chain Management
  • Community Commitment
  • Financials
  • Supporting UPMC
  • HealthBeat Blog
  • UPMC Apps
  • UPMC Enterprises
  • UPMC Health Plan
  • UPMC International
  • Nondiscrimination Policy
Life changing is...
Follow UPMC
  • Contact Us
  • Website/Email Terms of Use
  • Medical Advice Disclaimer
  • Privacy Information
  • Active Privacy Alerts
  • Sitemap
© 2025 UPMC I Affiliated with the University of Pittsburgh Schools of the Health Sciences Supplemental content provided by Healthwise, Incorporated. To learn more, visit healthwise.org
Find Care
Providers
Video Visit
Portal Login