ALL ACADEMICS AND STAFF AT UC SAN DIEGO (Including UC San Diego Health)
COVID-19 Vaccine Prioritization
UC San Diego Health has been on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic from the beginning, including treating the nation’s 13th and 14th COVID-19 patients. We have accomplished so much together and with the recent emergency-use approval of two vaccines, there is light and hope at the end of the tunnel.
Under guidelines provided by the CDC, State and County, a committee led by UC San Diego Health CEO Patty Maysent and composed of UC San Diego physicians, public health experts, and campus faculty and leadership conceived and is successfully implementing the prioritization plan to vaccinate our frontline health care workers (Phase 1A). The committee is currently in the process of completing the prioritization plan for essential campus workers for Phase 1B of the vaccine roll out. UC San Diego’s essential campus workers are not yet eligible for vaccination per State guidelines.
As we near the completion of first-dose vaccinations for UC San Diego’s health care frontline employees as defined by the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) Phase 1A, we have partnered with the San Diego County Health Department, the Padres and other organizations to immunize non-UC San Diego health care workers in Phase 1A. Our immediate goal is to rapidly and dramatically expand outreach to health care workers in San Diego County who are in need of COVID-19 vaccinations. The Vaccination Super Station at Petco Park is at the heart of this collaborative effort.
At this time, the Petco Park Vaccination Super Station remains open for health care workers (Phase 1A) who reside within San Diego County ONLY. Any attempt to knowingly circumvent this priority would be unethical.
On Wednesday, Governor Gavin Newsom announced California would expand eligibility for a coronavirus vaccine to anyone 65 or older, pending approval of county public health officials and vaccination allocations. As a result, the San Diego Health Department has approved health care providers to vaccinate patients over the age of 65 if they have available vaccine. Vaccinations to this newly eligible group will be administered through an individual’s health care provider. UC San Diego Health has been working diligently with the County and the State to both refine and broaden logistics and distribution processes and procedures necessary to quickly reach out to UC San Diego Health patients.
UC San Diego Health’s highest priority is to vaccinate as many individuals as possible as quickly as possible. Assuming sufficient vaccine allocations from state and/or local partners for Phase 1B, our initial focus will be to vaccinate essential on-site university employees and high-risk patients of UC San Diego Health who also meet the Phase 1B criteria.
Phase 1B vaccine allocations to the university will be distributed using a 2:1 ratio of UC San Diego Health patients to UC San Diego essential workers, which includes several thousand frontline staff but not all employees. This ratio will be employed to the extent that we have discretion to do so, recognizing that it may be superseded by new federal, state or local guidance. We will also revisit this decision as circumstances evolve; this decision does not preclude any patient or staff from obtaining the vaccine from other providers if they are afforded that opportunity.
UC San Diego Health patients aged 65 and older can go online for information on timing, how to make an appointment, and instructions on where to go for their vaccination. Campus employees who are eligible for vaccination, but who receive health care from another provider will need to activate their MyUCSDChart account to schedule their vaccine with UC San Diego Health when invited. Starting next week, all UC San Diego employees, regardless of health care provider, will be able to login to MyUCSDChart using their UC San Diego username and password.
Despite enormous challenges, UC San Diego has already demonstrated its commitment to operational excellence and community service. We are proud of UC San Diego Health’s leadership, its continuing efforts, and the excellent patient care our colleagues are providing throughout this pandemic. We remain absolutely committed to “putting shots in arms” for those who face significant risk. We are building upon this success with a responsible vaccine-acceleration program that serves our employees, patients and the greater community.
Pradeep K. Khosla Chancellor
Patricia S. Maysent Chief Executive Officer for UC San Diego Health
University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093
