Weekly Update: Boosters and Continued Vaccine Progress Weekly Update: Boosters and Continued Vaccine Progress

Campus community, Earlier this week, Governor Beshear expanded his recommendations for people who are eligible and wish to receive a COVID-19 vaccine booster shot.  As a result, starting Monday, those on campus who are eligible can receive a booster shot at our existing vaccine and testing site in the Gatton Student Center at the Blue Box Theater. Some quick details about the booster shot process:

• At this time, the recommendations apply only to those who are six months past their second dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.
• Go to ukvaccine.org to sign up for an appointment if you are eligible. This sign-up process is the same one we used last academic year for our vaccine clinics.
• You must bring your CDC vaccination card or proof of vaccination to the appointment. Replacement cards cannot be issued at the booster appointment. Walk-up appointments will not be accepted. (Lost your card? Request a copy.) 
• At this time, you do not have to have a booster shot to be considered fully vaccinated. 

Who is eligible, according to the Governor’s recommendations:

• Individuals 65 and older
• Those living in a long-term care facility
• People 18 to 64 who have a medical condition that increases their risk of severe COVID-19 infection, such as diabetes, heart, kidney or lung disease or a BMI greater than 25, or 
• People 18 to 64 who work in environments such as health care and education, which may entail higher risk of exposure to the virus

If you do not fit in any of these groups and have concerns about your individual health care needs, you should contact your health care provider.  We believe we have ample capacity to handle campus booster requests at the Gatton Student Center site. If we determine that we need more space and capacity, we are in a position to quickly add sites for booster shots. We will continually evaluate availability and move quickly if we need to do so. However, we have other options, too. You also may schedule an appointment, if space and appointments are available, at UK HealthCare vaccination sites. You can read more about UK and booster shots here. For those who qualify, vaccines also are being offered at: 

• University Health Service Pharmacy 
• Kentucky Clinic Pharmacy 
• Turfland Retail Pharmacy 
• And the new Bluegrass Clinic Pharmacy at 3101 Beaumont Centre Circle



Hours will vary by location. Walk-ins will not be accepted – again, you must register at ukvaccine.org and sign up for an appointment time.

At each of these locations, you can also receive a flu shot – something I strongly urge you to do.  It’s safe to get your flu shot and vaccine shot at the same time. There are predictions that we are facing a return to a more normal – and harsher – flu season this fall and winter, so getting a shot is particularly important this year. You don’t have to sign up in advance to get a flu shot. You can get one when you show up for your vaccine. We would ask that you to use the self-report toolto let us know that you have received your flu shot so we can continue to track the health of our campus. Employee Incentives for vaccines Our employee incentive vaccination program is also up and running. If you are interested, you can read more information, including prizes and eligibility, here.  Our latest vaccination numbers Today, more than 87 percent of our campus community is vaccinated or in the process of being vaccinated, according to our most recent data. You can read more details about our progress on our COVID-19 dashboard.   As we indicated recently, we are now updating the dashboard twice a week and including more information about vaccination rates throughout the campus. Here’s our breakdown of the numbers from the most recent update of the dashboard:

• Nearly 85 percent of students
• 94 percent of faculty
• Nearly 90 percent of staff
• 91 percent UK HealthCare
• Nearly 86 percent on the UK campus (non-UKHC)

We continue to make progress – every day – toward 90 percent of our campus being vaccinated. It’s another sign, among so many, of a remarkable community pulling together to do remarkable things. Thank you for being such an important member of this special community. Eli Capilouto President