The below message was sent via email to all students on July 1, 2021.
Dear University Students,
With just about one month until the COVID-19 campus vaccination August 1 deadline, I would like to encourage you to start the process of getting the vaccine—if you have not done so already—as well as ask you to submit proof of your COVID-19 vaccination to the University.
The requirement
The University requires all undergraduate and graduate students who plan to enroll and be on campus for the 2021-22 academic year to be vaccinated against COVID-19. This decision was determined to be the most effective approach to limiting or eliminating the spread of COVID-19 at the University, and the safest and most manageable way to increase in-person operations, instruction, activities, and student living on the University’s campuses.
All students enrolled for the 2021-22 academic year and who plan to be on campus need to receive an approved vaccine by August 1, 2021. This requirement applies to all schools, as well as to all students who live either on campus and off campus. If it’s not possible for you to be vaccinated by August 1, the University will make all efforts to provide the vaccine to you upon your arrival to campus. To see more details about the vaccination requirement, including the process for filing a medical or religious exemption by July 15, view the COVID Student Vaccination Requirement FAQ.
Getting the vaccine
You can take advantage of several vaccination options now that COVID-19 vaccine supplies have increased, including your local pharmacy. In the Rochester area, the Finger Lakes Vaccine Hub continues to provide resources and information on the various locations that offer the vaccine.
All efforts will be made to provide the vaccine to students who arrive to campus and who have not yet been vaccinated. If a student has only received one dose of the Pfizer or Moderna two-dose vaccine upon arrival to Rochester, there are multiple options at Rochester-area pharmacies to receive the second dose, including the CVS on Mt. Hope Avenue in College Town, which offers Pfizer; and Walgreens at 1575 Mt. Hope Avenue, which offers the Moderna vaccine. Students seeking a second dose should bring with them proof of their first dose/vaccination card.
- International students and students arriving from abroad: The University will recognize students as being fully vaccinated when they have received a vaccine approved for emergency use by the CDC or a vaccine approved on the World Health Organization (WHO) emergency use list (click on the tab: Is there a Vaccine for COVID-19? for the updated list). If you have received a vaccine that is not approved, the University is prepared to offer an approved vaccine to you upon arrival to campus. If you have only received one dose of the Pfizer or Moderna two-dose vaccine upon arrival to Rochester, there are multiple options at Rochester-area pharmacies to receive the second dose (listed above).
Uploading COVID-19 vaccine proof
All undergraduate and graduate students who plan to enroll and be on campus for the 2021-22 academic year need to be vaccinated against COVID-19 and need to upload proof of vaccination to the UHSConnect Portal (find instructions here). If you are vaccinated, please upload this proof now; if UHS does not have this proof, students will face challenges in enrolling in classes, moving into residence halls, and accessing other campus activities.
Thank you for your attention to this.
Ralph A. Manchester
Vice Provost and Director
University Health Service