On March 1, more people in the state of Wisconsin became eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccines. University Health Services is offering vaccines as soon as possible to members of the campus community who meet the eligibility requirements and comply with vaccine supply licenses. UHS will send you an email when a meeting is available to you – keep checking your wisc.edu email.
Anyone who meets the state’s eligibility can also schedule vaccination appointments through their health care providers or other vaccination providers in the community.
According to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, new eligible groups include:
- Staff in educational settings, such as those in day care centers and teachers and staff in higher education settings who have direct contact with students;
- Food supply chain personnel;
- Some service and communications infrastructure workers;
- Public transport employees; and
- Essential health care personnel outside the front line.
At UW – Madison, there are far more individuals who meet current eligibility than vaccines currently available. UHS receives a distribution of vaccines from the state each week, which determines how many consultations the campus can offer.
As UHS cannot immediately offer consultations to all those eligible, the campus is using the prioritization guidelines provided by the state, which consider both the risk of exposure and the vulnerability to COVID-19.
Starting this week, UHS can offer appointments for:
- Teachers, staff and teaching assistants currently engaged in face-to-face instruction, aged 45 or over
- Accommodation and food team aged 45 or over
- All daycare and daycare staff
Student teachers participating in K-12 instruction are being vaccinated by Public Health Madison and Dane County.
UHS continues to offer vaccines to previously qualified individuals, including those who have direct roles in patient care, those with direct exposure to the virus or virus samples, and active campus members aged 65 and over. Since the beginning of January, UHS has provided nearly 10,000 doses of Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines to staff and students.
Vaccine supply is likely to increase next month, and UHS expects to offer the vaccine to all eligible teachers and staff by the end of May. All students must have access to the vaccine at the beginning of the fall semester.
“We want to fire on weapons as quickly as possible,” says Carol Griggs, director of operations at UHS. “We know that many people on campus are eager to be vaccinated and we ask for a little more patience until more vaccines are available.”
UHS, the Human Resources Office and others worked with the Rector’s Office and individual schools and colleges to identify eligible members of the campus. UHS also assessed eligibility on a case-by-case basis.
If you have not received an email inviting you to make an appointment for a vaccine, it is likely that the university has not yet received enough vaccine to offer it to its population. However, queries sent to UHS will be analyzed. Be patient, as a small number of employees are analyzing a large volume of emails.
The Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines require two doses for the total protection they offer. A third vaccine from Johnson and Johnson is a single injection vaccine. All three vaccines have received emergency use authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, a special designation to allow safe and effective medical treatments to be used in times of urgency, such as during a pandemic.
Current COVID-19 vaccines have been provided to tens of millions of Americans since December 2020 and are highly safe and effective in preventing vaccinated people from contracting COVID-19 or developing serious illnesses. A small number of people can still contract the disease after vaccination, but it is much less likely to require hospitalization. There is early evidence that vaccines have also dramatically reduced mortality rates due to COVID-19.
“We encourage everyone to get vaccinated when they have the opportunity,” said Jake Baggott, associate vice president and executive director of SUS. “If you are unsure whether the vaccine is right for you, talk to your supervisor, the disability representative or a trusted colleague who has been vaccinated. Taking the COVID-19 vaccine is the best way to protect yourself and those you love from the disease. “
COVID-19 vaccination is not currently required for students or staff at UW – Madison, although employees are welcome to schedule vaccination times during working hours. UHS is providing modified clinic hours and additional support for second and third shift workers. As soon as you are invited to make an appointment for a vaccine, you will not miss the opportunity if you do not make one immediately.
Answers to other common questions:
What does it mean to have direct contact with the student?
Any university employee working with students meets the definition of direct student contact. This means that everyone, from instructors to researchers, supervising students and staff who perform functions on campus that involve working with students. As the supply of the vaccine is limited, SUS is beginning to offer the vaccine to those who currently work personally with students. Employees who work with students and are currently performing their duties remotely will receive the vaccine at a later date, or they can obtain the vaccine through a health provider or in the community, such as through a pharmacy.
I was vaccinated off campus. How do I report UHS?
Individuals who are vaccinated off campus who want to ensure that their vaccination is registered with SUS should take the following measures once they have received both doses of a two-dose vaccine (Pfizer or Moderna) or a one-dose vaccine (Johnson and Johnson):
It may take up to five business days for the record to be reflected in your MyUHS account.
UHS made a recording at the prefecture of the vaccine on March 4. Closed captions are also available: go.wisc.edu/vaccinechat. A second city hall will take place on March 18, from 12pm to 1pm: go.wisc.edu/campusvaccinechat.
For answers to many other questions about COVID-19, including questions about vaccines, visit: https://news.wisc.edu/tag/covid-questions/
For more information on UW – Madison’s response to COVID-19, including a searchable FAQ database, go to: https://covidresponse.wisc.edu/
For more information on vaccines, COVID-19, or to contact the University Health Services, visit: https://covidresponse.wisc.edu/covid-19-vaccine-information/