Keeping the Drexel Community Prepared: COVID-19 Booster Deadline Is Feb. 28

This message was sent to the Drexel community on February 2, 2022.

Summary

New COVID-19 cases continue to decline in the Drexel community and the Philadelphia region. See the latest aggregate results from Drexel’s testing sites on our COVID-19 Dashboard.
COVID booster shots are important for continued protection and are required for all faculty, professional staff and students who are booster-eligible and on campus, unless they have received a University-approved vaccine exemption.
If you haven’t yet uploaded proof of your booster vaccination to the Drexel Health Checker, you must do so by February 28 (regardless of whether you received your booster vaccination on- or off-campus).You can still receive your booster vaccine by scheduling through Student Health (215-220-4700) or making an appointment at a retail location near you (see below).
Please continue to follow Drexel public health guidelines, including indoor mask-wearing.

Dear Drexel Faculty, Professional Staff and Students,

We’re glad to report that the winter COVID Omicron wave continues to subside—and that the impact on our Drexel community has been less severe than elsewhere, due to our high levels of vaccination, boosters, mask-wearing and continued testing program. Thank you for helping keep your peers and colleagues safer by following campus guidelines. To see the most up-to-date data on COVID results at Drexel, view our COVID-19 Dashboard, which is updated every Tuesday.

As previously noted, to help protect our community against current and future surges, Drexel is requiring all faculty, professional staff and students on campus who are eligible for a COVID-19 booster shot to receive one and upload their documentation to the Drexel Health Checker, unless they have received a University-approved medical or religious exemption. Directions on how to upload proof of your booster dose are provided on the Drexel Response to Coronavirus under the booster section. Vaccines remain the key to preventing severe disease requiring hospitalization and poor health outcomes, but their effect has been shown to wane over time and/or be less effective against infection with some variants such as Omicron. A booster dose adds a layer of protection against infection, and if infection still occurs, having had your booster often decreases disease severity, decreases the risk of prolonged COVID and decreases your risk of transmitting infection to others. While the current Omicron surge continues to decrease, now is the time to ensure we take the available steps to remain healthy and be part of a community prepared for the future.

The deadline to provide booster documentation is February 28. If you have not yet received your booster shot, you can arrange for one by calling Student Health (215-220-4700) or visiting the City of Philadelphia’s vaccine finder or Vaccines.gov to locate a clinic near you. Employee questions can be referred to the Human Resources Service Center at 215-895-2850 or HR@drexel.edu

Throughout the pandemic, our community has stayed on top of the science, made adjustments with patience and compassion, and always looked out for each other. Please continue to follow Drexel public health guidelines, including wearing masks indoors. Stay tuned for updates as we further adjust these precautions to maintain a safe and fulfilling on-campus experience. We look forward to being able to reduce campus pandemic-related restrictions as infections continue to decrease. Thank you and take care.

All the best,

Paul E. Jensen
Executive Vice President
Nina Henderson Provost
University Professor

Marla J. Gold
Chief Wellness Officer
Senior Vice Provost for Community Health

Subir Sahu
Senior Vice President for Student Success

Megan Weyler
Senior Vice President
Chief Human Resources Officer