COVID-19 Vaccination Scheduling Now Open to All Employees, Students in Patient Care Areas
Published on Sunday, December 20, 2020
Dec. 20, 2020
TO: All Faculty and Staff
FROM: Dr. Alan Jones, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Clinical Affairs and Clinical Response Leader
SUBJECT: COVID-19 Vaccination Scheduling Now Open to All Employees, Students in Patient Care Areas
STAY UP TO DATE WITH UMMC’S COVID-19 OPERATIONAL PREPARATIONS AND RESPONSE HERE (UMMC INTRANET LOG-IN IS REQUIRED TO ACCESS) AND GENERAL COVID-19 INFORMATION HERE.
Effective immediately, COVID-19 vaccination appointment scheduling is open to ALL UMMC faculty and staff – including employees who do not participate in patient care activities - and to UMMC students who regularly participate in patient care activities or regularly come in contact with patient fluids or tissue as a part of their educational requirements. Employees previously eligible to make an appointment – Tier 1 and Tier 2 faculty and staff – continue to be eligible to make an appointment to receive the vaccine. The dean for each UMMC-based school will distribute communication to define which students enrolled in each school are eligible to make a vaccination appointment at this time.
COVID-19 vaccination appointments will be available through Wednesday, Dec. 23. The vaccine clinic will not operate Thursday through Sunday, Dec. 24-27. Appointment availability will resume on Monday, Dec. 28, subject to vaccine availability. Vaccinations will continue for eligible groups until the supply runs out.
Employees who work at Grenada, Lexington or other remote areas will receive vaccine information specific to their locations from their respective leaders.
Information about the Pfizer vaccine, the distribution plan for UMMC faculty and staff and the process UMMC personnel should use for making an appointment, including the link to make an appointment through MyChart, can be found on the COVID-19 Employee Vaccinations information page found on the Intranet (UMMC intranet log-in is required to access). Anyone in a group announced as eligible to receive the vaccine should read all information on this Intranet page prior to scheduling their appointment. A FAQ regarding the vaccine is available here.
Vaccinations will be by appointment only. Walk-ups will not be allowed. Employees will be required to show their UMMC ID badges to receive the vaccination.
When signing up for an appointment, employees will be required to attest that they are eligible to schedule the vaccine based upon UMMC’s process for offering COVID-19 vaccines to groups as determined by their job roles. Misrepresentations or false statements made through this attestation would be a violation of the UMMC compliance plan and may result in disciplinary action up to, and including, termination. Employees who have questions about whether their role or assigned work areas meet the definition of the group currently available to receive the vaccine should consult their area leaders before scheduling an appointment.
Thank you.
IF YOU ARE EXPERIENCING ANY SYMPTOMS ASSOCIATED WITH COVID-19 INFECTION, INCLUDING FEVER (OR FEELING FEVERISH, CHILLS OR SWEATS), COUGH, SORE THROAT, SHORTNESS OF BREATH, NEWLY DEVELOPED LOSS OF TASTE/SMELL OR OTHER SYMPTOMS, OR IF YOU CURRENTLY HAVE A COVID-19-POSITIVE CONTACT AT YOUR PLACE OF RESIDENCE (E.G. CHILD, PARTNER, RELATIVE OR ROOMMATE), VISIT THE EMPLOYEE/STUDENT COVID-19 HOTLINE AT HTTPS://WWW.UMC.EDU/EMPCOVIDHOTLINE
EMPLOYEES AND STUDENTS WHO NEED HELP WITH COVID-19-RELATED STRESS AND ANXIETY HAVE ACCESS TO A NUMBER OF UMMC-SPONSORED OPTIONS:
- RISE (RESILIENCE IN STRESSFUL EVENTS) PEER RESPONSE TEAM
- UMMC EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
- EMPLOYEE STREAMLINED PSYCHIATRY REFERRAL (EMAIL LINDSAY JAY AT LJAY@UMC.EDU)
- STUDENT COUNSELING AND WELLNESS CENTER
UMMC IS COMMITTED TO SUPPORTING ITS FACULTY, STAFF AND STUDENTS DURING THIS STRESSFUL TIME. FOR DETAILS ABOUT THE TYPES OF SUPPORT AVAILABLE, VISIT THIS LINK (UMMC intranet log-in is required to access).