As Vanderbilt prepares to welcome students back to campus for a new academic year, the health and safety of the university community are still a top priority. The university continues to work closely with our public health experts at the university and Vanderbilt University Medical Center to ensure that our response to the COVID-19 pandemic is grounded in science and expert guidance with the goal of protecting our community members.
A public health landing page has been created that will provide information on various infectious diseases as necessary. This landing page includes information on the university’s COVID-19 health and safety response. The university is continuing to monitor the COVID-19 pandemic and will issue updated public health guidance as needed.
Public Health Central Command Center continues to support the university
The university continues to maintain a flexible and nimble public health coordination function, the Public Health Central Command Center, which provides support for positive and close contact individuals, contact tracing and contact notifications, coordination of testing entities, vaccination records intake and coordination of possible future booster clinics.
What should I do if I receive a positive COVID-19 test?
Members of the Vanderbilt community who have received a COVID-19 positive test result should complete the following webform. This includes those who use at-home tests or a VUMC walk-in clinic. The webform goes directly to the Command Center to ensure confidentiality. Test results of individuals tested by Student Health and Occupational Health are routed automatically. Individuals will receive communication from the Command Center about their isolation (if they tested positive).
Where can I get tested for COVID-19? What are the testing protocols?
In alignment with CDC guidance, asymptomatic testing requirements for Vanderbilt community members are currently suspended. Testing protocols will be evaluated based on trends in positivity rate and case counts and are subject to change.
Symptomatic testing is available at Student Health, Occupational Health Express Care, Vanderbilt Health Walk-In Clinics, Vanderbilt Health Clinics at Walgreens and through other testing options.
Free rapid antigen at-home kits are available for the Vanderbilt community for pick-up. Rapid tests that you can do at home are also available at many retail locations.
Individuals who test positive for COVID-19 outside of Student Health or Occupational Health must report their positive test result to the Command Center through the webform.
More information about testing is on this page.
Where can I voluntarily submit my vaccination record?
COVID-19 vaccines and boosters are not mandatory but strongly encouraged at this time. Vanderbilt students, faculty, postdoctoral fellows and staff can submit their vaccination or booster records to the Command Center with the vaccine tracker/submission form.
How does quarantine and isolation work for on-campus and off-campus individuals?
Members of the Vanderbilt community who have received a COVID-19 positive test result from an entity other than Student Health or Occupational Health, regardless of vaccination status, should complete the following webform. Individuals will receive direct communication from the Command Center about their isolation. If you have a positive test result:
- You remain in isolation for five days after your symptoms started or tested positive, whichever came first. You can return to campus activities after five days of isolation if symptoms have improved or you remain asymptomatic. You are required to monitor symptoms and wear a tight-fitting mask for five additional days.
If you are a close contact, regardless of vaccination status, you can continue to participate in on-campus activities, provided you do not have COVID-19 symptoms. You must monitor symptoms and wear a tight-fitting mask at all times for 10 days.
Individuals who live off campus will isolate in their place of residence.
Campus residents will generally isolate in their regular on-campus housing assignments. They will remain in their spaces at all times other than to seek medical care or pick up food. They will wear a well-fitting mask at all times when in any shared areas. Roommates should also wear a well-fitting mask at all times in shared areas and clean those areas regularly during the isolation period. KN95 masks are recommended and are available on campus at no cost. Limited isolation space is available on campus and will be reserved for campus residents who test positive for COVID-19 and who share a bedroom space with a student with moderate or severe immunosuppression. In these instances, the campus resident who tested positive will be relocated to isolation housing. Students with moderate or severe immunosuppression who will be sharing a bedroom space should register with Student Access and submit a request for this isolation housing accommodation as soon as possible. Students must be approved for accommodation before a roommate tests positive.
More details regarding quarantine and isolation can be found here. More information about contact tracing can be found on the following page.
Are there any masking or other protocols?
The university continues to follow the guidance issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention based on Davidson’s County’s COVID community level. Individuals are encouraged to follow that guidance. The Davidson County community level will be noted on the right-hand side of each myVU newsletter.
Gathering size limits are lifted. Indoor gatherings may occur at up to full capacity. Visitors are welcome on campus.
More information on protocols can be found here.