January 26, 2021

Students and campus employees who have never been tested for COVID-19 at UC San Diego must conduct their first test by making an appointment at the links below. After you have completed the appointment-based test, you are welcome to participate in self-administered testing using a kit available from campus vending machines.

Prior to conducting your first COVID-19 test at UC San Diego, all students and campus employees must have an account with MyStudentChart (students) or MyChart (employees). Please login using your Active Directory (AD) credentials rather than using the “Guest Login” or signing in with a previous username. This will prevent duplication of records and ensure your results are delivered correctly.

Volunteers are needed at the Vaccination Super Station near Petco Park. Both non-medical professionals and licensed medical professionals are invited to assist in the critical vaccination efforts led by the County of San Diego, UC San Diego and the San Diego Padres. Please note, employees need supervisor approval if volunteering during work hours. Learn more about volunteering. 

Answer: UC San Diego employees are now receiving a daily email with the subject line, “Required Daily Notification of Potential Workplace Exposure Locations.” When UC San Diego receives notice that an individual infected with COVID‐19 was present at a UC San Diego worksite, the impacted locations are shared on the UC San Diego COVID Daily Dashboard. The university is required to notify employees daily about potential exposures, in accordance with California law. 

Answer: Two COVID-19 vaccines — from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna — are available for adults in the U.S. Both are given in two doses, approximately 21 days apart for the Pfizer vaccine and approximately 28 days apart for the Moderna vaccine. Both vaccines are about 95 percent effective at preventing symptomatic illness for COVID-19 within a few weeks of receiving both doses, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). For more details, see Vaccine FAQs.

Currently frontline health care workers in Phase 1A are eligible. A plan is underway to vaccinate essential campus workers (who are not yet eligible for vaccination per State guidelines) in Phase 1B. You can learn more about COVID-19 vaccine prioritization here as well as in the most recent Staff Town Hall recap video.

Answer: No. Data from the Pfizer and Moderna clinical trials show that protection from COVID-19 appears to begin approximately two weeks after the first injection.  While protection was seen after the first shot, it is strongly recommended that everyone complete the two-dose regimen to fully boost immunity and stronger, longer lasting protection. Going forward, the timing between the first and second shots may change, based on new findings, but for now it's recommended to get the two shots according to each vaccine's schedule.