Students are strongly encouraged to continue scheduling vaccine appointments at WNY vaccination clinics. Vaccinations at all sites are by APPOINTMENT ONLY.
As part of UB’s comprehensive efforts to protect the health and safety of our students, the university is actively working toward ramping up an on-campus vaccination site for UB students.
Learn more about COVID-19 vaccines, UB's role in vaccinating the community and what it means to UB students and employees.
UB is pleased to play a vital role in the fight against COVID-19 by hosting a designated state vaccination site in Harriman Hall on the university’s South Campus. The vaccines distributed on the South Campus will be provided to Western New York community members by appointment only and in accordance with guidelines developed by the NYS Department of Health.
The COVID-19 Vaccine Guidance website provides information by UB experts, including FAQs by UB faculty physicians.
Michael E. Cain, MD, UB’s vice president for health sciences and dean of the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, is a member of the Western New York Vaccine Hub leadership team, which is headed by Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul and includes Catholic Health President and CEO Mark A. Sullivan and ECMC President and CEO Thomas J. Quatroche Jr.
Updated January 13, 2021
The New York State Department of Health is providing regular updates regarding who is eligible for vaccination. Individuals in high-risk priority population groups should receive the vaccine first, in accordance with guidelines developed by the Department of Health. As additional allocations are made to New York State, additional groups will be eligible for vaccine. Please see https://covid19vaccine.health.ny.gov/ for eligibility requirements.
Updated January 13, 2021
The vaccines were evaluated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and their independent advisory board, which after very careful analysis and review deemed them safe and effective. Prior to the FDA’s review, both vaccines underwent the most rigorous level of clinical trial testing, which is the gold standard for evaluating the safety and efficacy of vaccines in people.
The Pfizer clinical trial involved 44,000 people, 40% of whom were people of color. The Moderna clinical trial involved 30,000 people, 35% of whom were people of color.
Both vaccines were found to be 95% effective for preventing symptomatic infection, and both prevent severe forms of COVID-19.
No major safety concerns arose from these trials.
Updated January 27, 2021
Students are strongly encouraged to continue scheduling vaccine appointments at WNY vaccination clinics. Vaccinations at all sites are by APPOINTMENT ONLY.
As part of UB’s comprehensive efforts to protect the health and safety of our students, the university is actively working toward ramping up an on-campus vaccination site for UB students.
Currently, students and faculty in health-related disciplines who have contact with patients are getting vaccinated. These vaccinations are provided by and have taken place at Erie County Department of Health sites and local hospitals including Buffalo General Medical Center, the VA Western New York Health Care System, Millard Fillmore Suburban and Erie County Medical Center.
In addition, faculty engaged in in-person instruction have now been approved for the vaccine.
The NYS Department of Health is developing and communicating plans to vaccinate other essential workers and individuals whose health is considered to be most at risk. For updates, please see information provided by the NYS Department of Health.
Updated April 12, 2021
Students are strongly encouraged to continue scheduling vaccine appointments at WNY vaccination clinics. Vaccinations at all sites are by APPOINTMENT ONLY.
As part of UB’s comprehensive efforts to protect the health and safety of our students, the university is actively working toward ramping up an on-campus vaccination site for UB students.
UB is pleased to play a vital role in the fight against COVID-19 by hosting a designated state vaccination site for the Western New York community in Harriman Hall on the university’s South Campus. Information regarding parking and a map of UB's South Campus can be found here.
Vaccinations will be provided to eligible Western New York community members by appointment only, in accordance with NYS Department of Health guidelines on vaccine eligibility.
UB's Health Services is unable to provide information about the NY State Department of Health’s COVID-19 vaccination clinics being held at Harriman Hall on UB’s South Campus. For information about these clinics, including eligibility and to make an appointment, please call the NYS Health Department’s COVID-19 vaccine hotline phone number: 1-833-697-4829 (1-833-NYS-4-VAX) or refer to their website.
Law enforcement and National Guard will be assisting with traffic flow and security at the New York State vaccination site at Harriman Hall throughout the spring semester. You may be asked about the purpose of your visit to Harriman Hall for parking purposes only.
Updated April 6, 2021
Students are strongly encouraged to continue scheduling vaccine appointments at WNY vaccination clinics. Vaccinations at all sites are by APPOINTMENT ONLY.
As part of UB’s comprehensive efforts to protect the health and safety of our students, the university is actively working toward ramping up an on-campus vaccination site for UB students.
Members of the UB community should expect to be vaccinated according to the prioritization established by the NYS Department of Health. As the vaccine supply increases, the state will expand the eligibility for the vaccine. At this point, the university is not expected to be a direct source for vaccines for UB faculty and staff, outside of those who are otherwise eligible, as noted above.
Updated April 12, 2021
As NYS receives more vaccine supply in the coming weeks, access is expected to expand according to the priority approach required by New York State. The Department of Health will provide regular updates on vaccine eligibility and availability.
Students are strongly encouraged to continue scheduling vaccine appointments at WNY vaccination clinics. Vaccinations at all sites are by APPOINTMENT ONLY.
As part of UB’s comprehensive efforts to protect the health and safety of our students, the university is actively working toward ramping up an on-campus vaccination site for UB students.
Updated April 12, 2021
Students are strongly encouraged to continue scheduling vaccine appointments at WNY vaccination clinics. Vaccinations at all sites are by APPOINTMENT ONLY.
As part of UB’s comprehensive efforts to protect the health and safety of our students, the university is actively working toward ramping up an on-campus vaccination site for UB students.
To check your eligibility and to make an appointment at a vaccination site, visit https://am-i-eligible.covid19vaccine.health.ny.gov/.
The University at Buffalo has launched a new website to help people easily find available COVID-19 vaccination appointments across Western New York. WNY Vaccine Hound is a critical community resource that serves as a one-stop website that lists vaccination appointment openings in Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Niagara and Erie Counties. More information about WNY Vaccine Hound can be found here.
Updated April 7, 2021
Yes, for several reasons:
Updated January 13, 2021
UB strongly supports New York State’s vaccination program and the need for members of the university and Western New York community to get vaccinated in order to protect our region against COVID-19.
See the COVID-19 Vaccine Guidance website for information provided by UB experts, including FAQs provided by faculty physicians in the Division of Infectious Diseases in the Department of Medicine:
Updated February 1, 2021
Yes. It is not yet known if the vaccines can prevent asymptomatic infection and subsequent transmission of the virus, and the vaccines are not 100% effective.
Updated January 20, 2021
People who have received the full vaccine series may not have to quarantine, so long as it has been less than 90 days since their completion of the series and they have not had any COVID-19 symptoms (remain asymptomatic) since being exposed and since being vaccinated.
Quarantine No Longer Required for Fully Vaccinated Persons or Persons who have Recovered from COVID-19 Infection
The university will follow Erie County Department of Health (ECDOH) quarantine recommendations for fully vaccinated persons or persons who have recovered from COVID-19 infection.
People are considered fully vaccinated two weeks (14 days) after receiving the full vaccine series of an FDA-authorized COVID-19 vaccine. An individual who is considered fully vaccinated may be exempt from quarantine for up to 90 days (see ECDOH guidance). ECDOH contact tracers added vaccination status questions to their case investigation scripts, and will confirm how vaccination may affect quarantine when speaking with close contacts of confirmed COVID-19 cases.
If a person received the full vaccine series of an FDA-authorized COVID-19 vaccine and is (1) exposed to an individual who tested COVID-19 positive or (2) traveled to a U.S. state other than those contiguous to New York and remains asymptomatic, that person will not need to quarantine under the criteria specified on the ECDOH COVID-19 web site.
Additionally, a person who recovered from a COVID-19 infection and remains asymptomatic will not need to quarantine under the criteria specified on the ECDOH COVID-19 web site
Updated March 2, 2021
At this time, COVID-19 vaccinations are not yet required for students, faculty or staff. However, the university strongly recommends that all students, faculty and staff receive a COVID-19 vaccination after they are deemed eligible by state guidelines. UB’s first priority is the health and safety of our entire university community, and the vaccine is an important and very effective tool to help the stop the COVID-19 pandemic. Any future or additional information about vaccine requirements will be determined by NYS and SUNY, and then communicated to the campus by UB.
Quarantine No Longer Required for Fully Vaccinated Persons or Persons who have Recovered from COVID-19 Infection
The university will follow Erie County Department of Health (ECDOH) quarantine recommendations for fully vaccinated persons or persons who have recovered from COVID-19 infection.
People are considered fully vaccinated two weeks (14 days) after receiving the full vaccine series of an FDA-authorized COVID-19 vaccine. An individual who is considered fully vaccinated may be exempt from quarantine for up to 90 days (see ECDOH guidance). ECDOH contact tracers added vaccination status questions to their case investigation scripts, and will confirm how vaccination may affect quarantine when speaking with close contacts of confirmed COVID-19 cases.
If a person received the full vaccine series of an FDA-authorized COVID-19 vaccine and is (1) exposed to an individual who tested COVID-19 positive or (2) traveled to a U.S. state other than those contiguous to New York and remains asymptomatic, that person will not need to quarantine under the criteria specified on the ECDOH COVID-19 web site.
Additionally, a person who recovered from a COVID-19 infection and remains asymptomatic will not need to quarantine under the criteria specified on the ECDOH COVID-19 web site
Updated March 25, 2021
