PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – Pitt’s Center for Vaccine Research announced it’s in the process of obtaining samples of novel coronavirus from the CDC.

Dr. Paul Duprex, the director of the University of Pittsburgh Center for Vacine Research addressed Pitt’s Faculty Senate at 3 p.m. Monday to announce that Pitt would obtain the coronavirus and work towards developing a vaccine.

Breaking…Pitt announces it will obtain samples of coronavirus and work towards developing a vaccine. Dr. Paul Duprex of Pitt’s center for vaccine research is making the announcement. pic.twitter.com/xKv45cjT7r — PAUL D. MARTINO (@PMARTKDKA) February 12, 2020

The university says it’s one of the few labs nationwide qualified to handle pathogens like the novel coronavirus, officially named COVID-19 by the World Health Organization.

“Remember that the polio virus and many of these other viruses that we no longer have to deal with, viruses which are not present in Pittsburgh anymore, were dealt with by vaccines which were developed and tested in Pittsburgh,” said Dr. Duprex.

Happening now: Pitt’s Center for Vaccine Research (@PittCVR) announces it will receive samples of the novel coronavirus from @cdcgov to begin working on preventing its spread. Pitt is one of a few elite institutions to receive samples. Stay tuned for more. #COVID19 #SARSCoV2 pic.twitter.com/2Kyfy0UgnL — University of Pittsburgh (@PittTweet) February 12, 2020

The CDC is monitoring the outbreak of the respiratory illness first detected in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China. Since then, tens of thousands of infections have been reported in China.

There are more than a dozen confirmed cases of coronavirus in the U.S. The CDC says it has also spread person-to-person in the U.S.

Stay with KDKA for the latest on this developing story.