The University Of Utah: Faculty And Staff Update On Student Vaccines

Press release from The University of Utah:

University of Utah Communications

September 1, 2021

reaching out to students

All students will receive an email from Student Health notifying them of the steps to either document their vaccination status, find a vaccination clinic, or complete an exemption form. Students who attend the University of Utah are required to be fully vaccinated against measles, mumps and rubella (MMR). With full FDA approval of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine—and the consent of the governor’s office, state lawmakers and the Utah System of Higher Education—the university also will require students to be vaccinated against COVID-19 over the next month.

“We appreciate every member of the University of Utah community who has already been vaccinated,” said Lori McDonald, vice president for Student Affairs. “We know the best way out of this global health crisis and back to the exceptional, face-to-face college the university provides is through vaccination and following public health guidance. We want our students, faculty and staff to be able to interact fully in person in classrooms, laboratories, libraries and offices across campus. And the safest and most effective way to get back to those experiences is through these proven vaccines.”

The university uses verified data to track the campus vaccination rate of students. When they enroll in classes, students are required to upload their vaccination records or the results of a blood test through the Student Health Center website’s patient portal. The center’s electronic health records system automatically queries the Utah state vaccine registry, so students who have been vaccinated in Utah generally will not need to upload their immunization records. However, out-of-state students will be required to scan and upload their vaccination documents. The university accepts the Pfizer BioNtech vaccine, as well as Moderna, and the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine. International two-dose vaccines, including AstraZeneca, Covishield, Sinopharm BIBP and Sinovac also are accepted. Other international vaccines will not be accepted.

On Aug. 27, the Utah Board of Higher Education granted state colleges and universities the authority to require coronavirus vaccination as a condition of enrollment, provided the schools grant exemptions for medical, religious or personal reasons. Students who wish to seek an exemption will be directed to an online portal to complete the documentation/request.

Students will receive two email reminders and calls and text messages will follow for those who have not provided vaccination information or indicated the reason for their exemption. Students who do not complete either the required rounds of vaccination or an exemption form by Sept. 30 will have a hold placed on their registration for the Spring 2022 Semester. Holds will be lifted once a student either completes their vaccination cycle or fulfills the exemption requirement.

Other Utah institutions also will begin requiring students to be vaccinated against the coronavirus in the coming months, including Utah State University, Utah Valley University and Weber State University.

This press release was produced by The University of Utah. The views expressed here are the author’s own.