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November 17, 2022

In Case You Missed It

Flu Vaccination

The most important measure to prevent flu infection is an annual flu vaccination, and it is even more important when respiratory viruses are common in the community. All students, faculty, staff and other academic appointees must receive or affirmatively decline an influenza vaccination by Nov. 18 to comply with the University of California Policy on Vaccination Programs.
Students (including student employees)
Employees

Additional Updates

  • The EXCITE Lab, which processes the COVID test kit vending machine samples, will be closed Nov. 24-25. Please submit your test kits by noon on Nov. 23 to receive a timely result. The lab will reopen for normal operations on Nov. 26.
  • Students are invited to pick up a free KN-95 mask at one of more than a dozen locations across campus. Students can also get a rapid antigen test to keep at home and should test 24-48 hours prior to returning to campus after the Thanksgiving holiday. Any positive tests should be reported to Student Health Services through MyStudentChart ->Messages -> COVID questions. 
  • Campus departments can order free rapid antigen tests and KN-95 masks for team members through Oracle. Orders are currently being delivered within two business days. 

Upcoming Town Hall

Staff Town Hall

Wednesday, Dec. 7 at 10:30 a.m.
Learn the latest on campus health and safety; participate in a session on gratitude and mindfulness by FSAP, hear updates on the Staff@Work survey and IdeaWave campaign, and more.

Image of a bright rainbow over the Scripps Institution of Oceanography during sunset.

Feeling Blue? Here’s Where Students Can Find Support on Campus

With finals week and the holidays quickly approaching, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed or apprehensive about the future. You might need a little extra support—and that’s okay. This is where CAPS, the campus’s Counseling and Psychological Services, comes in. The team is continually developing new programs and resources to help students manage their well-being. Find resources for relief and well-being.

Your Questions Answered

Question: Do I need to get a flu vaccine if I work remotely?
Answer: No. You are not required to get a flu vaccine if you solely work remotely, but it is highly encouraged. However, if your job requires you to go to a UC San Diego worksite for any reason or duration, you must first meet the requirements of the UC Policy on Vaccination Programs by documenting you have received a flu vaccine or are declining to receive the flu vaccine (in which case you will need to mask for the duration of the flu season). For more information, view the FAQs in the Policy on Vaccination Programs.
Question: Why do I need a flu vaccine every year?
Answer: A flu vaccine is needed every year for two reasons. First, a person’s immune protection from vaccination declines over time, so an annual flu vaccine is needed for optimal protection. Second, because flu viruses are constantly changing, the composition of flu vaccines is reviewed annually, and vaccines are updated to protect against the viruses that research indicates will be most common during the upcoming flu season. For the best protection, everyone 6 months and older should get vaccinated annually. Learn more about the flu vaccine from the CDC.
Question: What are the benefits of flu vaccination?
  • Can keep you from getting sick with flu.
  • Has been shown to reduce severity of illness in people who get vaccinated but still get sick.
  • Can reduce the risk of flu-associated hospitalization.
  • Serves as an important preventive tool for people with certain chronic health conditions.
  • Flu vaccination during pregnancy helps protect pregnant people from flu during and after pregnancy and helps protect their infants from flu in their first few months of life.
  • Flu vaccine can be lifesaving in children.
  • Getting vaccinated yourself may also protect people around you, including those who are more vulnerable to serious flu illness, like babies and young children, older people, and people with certain chronic health conditions.
If you have specific questions or would like to submit feedback about the Return to Learn program, please email rtl@ucsd.edu.
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