Jul 16, 2021

Dear UCI campus community,

As we continue preparations to welcome students back for in-person instruction this fall, I write to share additional information. Most significantly, the UC Office of the President issued its final policy regarding required COVID-19 vaccinations. This policy requires all UCI students, staff and faculty to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 before physically accessing the university’s locations and programs. Compliance is required no later than two weeks before faculty, staff and students are expected to be on campus for the fall term. For UCI, the compliance dates are listed below:

  • School of Medicine - July 21 (July 19 for LEAD-ABC and PRIME-LC students)
  • School of Law - Aug. 3
  • UCI Health - Sept. 1
  • Main campus - Sept. 6

There are provisions for exceptions based on a medical exemption, disability, or religious objection. Those who are pregnant are eligible for a deferral for the duration of the pregnancy. Those who apply for and receive an exception will be required to comply with additional safety precautions. Additionally, those who are in the process of receiving their vaccinations will also be required to comply with the additional safety precautions until they are considered fully vaccinated.

Official UC communications and FAQs about the policy can be found at the following URLs:

Plan Your Vaccine Timing
We appreciate the many of you who have already received your vaccine or taken steps toward becoming fully vaccinated. For those who are not vaccinated, it is important to consider the timeline. While the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is “one and done,” the Pfizer vaccine requires three weeks between the first and second dose, and the Moderna vaccine requires four weeks between doses. To be considered fully vaccinated, you must be two weeks past your second dose, or two weeks past the J&J dose. For those choosing to get a Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, take into account the timeline of the vaccination process and when you plan to be on campus for fall quarter. In some cases, such as with the School of Medicine and the School of Law, that process should begin now.

Uploading Employee COVID Vaccination Verification
The UC policy requires individuals to show proof of vaccination. Employees who have been vaccinated against COVID-19 and have not yet submitted verification should upload proof of vaccination at the Occupational Health upload portal.

Please consider these tips to ensure successful verification:

  • If the name on your vaccination record does not match your name as it appears in UCPath (the payroll system), please upload another piece of documentation, e.g., a copy of your driver’s license, with your vaccination documentation so that the team can verify your records.
  • Please do not cross out your name or birthdate on your vaccination card. This information is important for verification of your records. The upload portal is a UCI health record system and all reasonable precautions are taken to protect your information.

Student Vaccine Verification via the Student Health Center Portal
Students who have already received their COVID-19 vaccine should upload their vaccination record on the UCI Student Health Center Patient Portal. There are step-by-step instructions for uploading your vaccination record. In addition, this short video tutorial walks you through the upload process.

International Students, Faculty and Staff
For individuals who have received a COVID-19 vaccination outside of the United States, UCI will accept vaccines authorized by the World Health Organization (WHO). Unvaccinated individuals arriving in the U.S. may be able to get vaccinated at an airport or schedule an appointment at a vaccine provider. Several airports offer COVID-19 vaccines, including Los Angeles International (LAX), Orange County (SNA), and San Francisco International (SFO).

Vaccine Help
Any employee or student who needs assistance obtaining a COVID-19 vaccine and/or uploading their vaccination record to the appropriate portal may contact Contact Tracing and Vaccine Navigation Services. They can be reached at 949-824-2300 or contacttracing@uci.edu.

The UCI Forward website continues to offer the latest COVID-19 information and resources for the campus community. As we continue progressing toward an in-person fall quarter, we will communicate additional information as it becomes available. Thank you for your patience and cooperation during this transition.

Sincerely,

Hal Stern
Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor
Chancellor’s Professor, Department of Statistics