Dear students,

On December 15, UT Health Austin/Dell Medical School, with support from the UT School of Nursing, UT School of Pharmacy and University Health Services, began the exciting process of vaccinating health care workers in alignment with state and federal guidelines for Phase 1A of vaccine distribution.

The Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) recently defined the Phase 1B population for the next round of vaccine distribution. To ensure we request enough vaccines from the state to quickly and efficiently give it to those eligible and interested individuals, we need to collect certain information now. We will continue to update our campus regularly on the availability and timing of vaccines for our students, faculty and staff as they become available.

Do you qualify for the state-defined Phase 1B category?

DSHS defines the Phase 1B category for priority vaccinations as:

1. All people who are 65 years of age or older.

2. People who are 16 years of age or older who have one or more chronic medical conditions that put them at increased risk for severe illness should they become infected by the virus that causes COVID-19. These conditions include (but are not limited to) cancer, chronic kidney disease, COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), heart conditions (such as heart failure, coronary artery disease or cardiomyopathies), having been the recipient of a transplanted organ, obesity and severe obesity (body mass index of 30 or higher; you can calculate your BMI here), pregnancy, sickle cell disease, and Type 2 diabetes mellitus.

If you qualify for Phase 1B and want to receive the vaccine from the university, please fill out all fields in this confidential and secure online COVID-19 Vaccine Form as soon as possible, but before the deadline of January 22. The deadline allows us to request sufficient supply from the state, but scheduling will be based upon vaccine availability. After a review of completed forms by health care professionals, we will contact you to schedule an appointment time for you to receive your two-dose vaccination on campus; when scheduling your first dose, please be mindful of the strict timeline to receive your second dose. Talk to your health care provider if you have questions about your eligibility for the state-defined Phase 1B category.

If you do not qualify for the state-defined Phase 1B category, but have another condition that may be prioritized as the vaccine becomes available:

The state has not yet defined the criteria for the next phase of distribution, but we anticipate that there are several health-related criteria that will likely define the next round of vaccine prioritization. We would like to begin collecting information and request that you please fill out the online COVID-19 Vaccine Form. We will contact you if we receive guidance from the state that individuals with additional health conditions are included in the next round.

Additional information about vaccine distribution through the university

All current UT students, faculty and staff will be able to receive a vaccine once there is sufficient supply to meet the demand. Individuals who do not meet the state’s current criteria for vaccine priority will be contacted as soon as we receive guidance from the state regarding further prioritization. Vaccinating our campus community could be a months-long process as federal, state, and local officials coordinate vaccine availability, distribution, and guidance.

Vaccines are provided at no cost to the individual and highly encouraged for the campus community. When enough people get vaccinated, the spread from person-to-person becomes less frequent and thereby increases protection of the whole community.

Visit the Protect Texas Together website to learn more and stay up to date on the university’s COVID-19 vaccine distribution plans.

Also, please remember, regardless of your vaccination status, it is more important than ever that we all continue wearing our masks, keeping a safe social distance, and washing our hands frequently. It will take all of us to stop the spread of COVID-19 in our community, so let’s all do our part to finally put an end to this pandemic.

Thank you very much for your cooperation, and please stay safe.

Sincerely,

Amy Young, M.D.
Chief Clinical Officer, UT Health Austin
Vice Dean of Professional Practice, Dell Medical School

Terrance Hines, M.D.
Chief Medical Officer and Executive Director
University Health Services

Stephanie Morgan, PhD, RN
Director of Practice Innovation
School of Nursing
The University of Texas at Austin

Jonathan Robb, CEM, MPS
Director, Emergency Preparedness

Protect Texas Together

protect.utexas.edu

This communication is from Leadership – Official.
View this email online.

The University of Texas at Austin | Austin, TX | 78712 US