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OFFICE OF THE CHANCELLOR
August 3, 2021
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ALL STUDENTS, ACADEMICS AND STAFF AT UC SAN DIEGO (Including UC San Diego Health)
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UC COVID-19 Vaccination Policy
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UC San Diego is nationally recognized as an example of what to do during a pandemic. Our award-winning Return to Learn strategy established our campus as one of the safest places in the nation to be during the pandemic.
Our strategic approach to masking, physical distancing, daily screening, regular asymptomatic testing, wastewater testing, contact notification, and isolation and care for positive cases has been successful. We envisioned a “Swiss Cheese Model,” where each slice of cheese represents a layer of protection. While one slice may contain small holes, taken together with other slices, the result is a solid block of cheese, or in this case a block of protection against the virus.
The University of California’s SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) Vaccination Program Policy adds another “slice” or layer of protection against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Mandating that all eligible students and employees are vaccinated or have received an approved exception or deferral supports our efforts to incrementally increase the campus population and in-person activities in the Fall Quarter.
Our goal is to return to in-person learning, cutting-edge research, excellent patient care and quality service to our community in the safest way possible. We can achieve that goal more quickly by adding the vaccine mandate to our block of protection.
Tomorrow, UC San Diego will begin implementing the vaccine mandate. This UC policy requires, with few exceptions, that all students, faculty and staff be vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus before they are allowed on campus or in a facility or office. Full compliance with the policy is required by September 6, 2021, two weeks before the start of the fall term.
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Vaccination Deadlines
To comply with the policy, students and employees should be “fully vaccinated” by the first day of the fall quarter, Monday, September 20, 2021. Fully vaccinated means you are two weeks past your second dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine or two weeks past the single dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Vaccination appointments are available at the Price Center on campus, through UC San Diego Health (email emp-test-sch-line@health.ucsd.edu), and at locations throughout the state. Please, schedule your vaccination appointment as soon as possible. You will need to have completed all vaccination shots by September 6, 2021.
Those who are partially vaccinated are permitted on UC San Diego property, but they will be required to follow all campus safety guidelines, which include masking and twice weekly testing.
International Vaccines
All World Health Organization (WHO)-approved vaccines meet the UC vaccine mandate requirement. “Fully vaccinated” is defined as two weeks after the completion of any series of WHO-approved vaccines. Student Health Services will provide international students and visiting scholars with individualized guidance if they have not completed their vaccine series or if they require additional clinical guidance.
Next Steps For Fully Vaccinated Individuals
Our goal is to make mandate compliance easy for you. Your vaccination information is securely housed in your employee or student health record. To meet the mandate, the campus needs to confirm you are fully vaccinated. Only the vaccination status will be shared. Clinical details will not be shared with campus.
STUDENTS
Student vaccination status will be transmitted to campus administration to comply with the vaccine mandate. Students who do not wish to share their vaccination status with campus administration must notify the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs by August 20. Students will receive an email from the Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs tomorrow with additional details and next steps. Information is also available on the Return to Learn website.
If you are a UC San Diego student who is also employed by UC San Diego in any capacity, please follow this student vaccination compliance process.
EMPLOYEES
For the more than 75 percent of UC San Diego employees who have already been vaccinated, either at UC San Diego or elsewhere in San Diego County, you will receive an email message from UC San Diego Health requesting you to sign into your MyUCSDChart account, verify your vaccination information, and provide consent to release your vaccination status to the campus. Only the vaccination status will be shared. Clinical details will not be shared with campus.
Campus employees will receive an email from Human Resources and Academic Personnel tomorrow with additional details on steps to comply with the vaccine mandate. Information is also available on the Return to Learn website.
Health employees will receive an email from Health CEO Patty Maysent and Vice Chancellor for Health Sciences David Brenner later today with additional details. Information is also available on Pulse.
For campus or health employees who received vaccines outside of campus or UC San Diego Health, a process to upload vaccination information into your health record is available on the Return to Learn website.
Vaccination Exception/Deferral Application Process
The UC vaccine policy allows for medical exceptions consistent with CDC guidance and manufacturer labeling on contraindications and precautions. As with other policies, employees—as required by federal and California law—and students may request accommodations based on disability or religious belief, and time-limited deferrals are available for those who are pregnant.
Non-Compliance
Students and employees who choose not to be vaccinated, and who do not have an approved exception or deferral potentially put the health of others at risk. These individuals may not be allowed on campus and may face disciplinary actions.
Together
Throughout the pandemic, UC San Diego researchers have been collecting data and analyzing potential risks to better understand how risk mitigation, virus detection, and intervention together can maintain and manage the public health of our community. This has allowed us to steadily and incrementally increase the campus population. Because of our approach, UC San Diego remains one of the safest locations in San Diego County. Thank you for your participation and for your support. Working together, we have been able to accomplish great success. Adding to continued vigilance and safety precautions, the vaccine mandate is the next logical step in maintaining that success and in returning to what we do best.
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Pradeep K. Khosla
Chancellor
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