As a condition of your approved exemption from the COVID-19 vaccine, you are asked to adhere to specific guidelines and requirements to remain on campus.

• Students who are unvaccinated are required to participate in our on-campus COVID testing weekly.
• Students who are unvaccinated must have a quarantine/isolation plan on file no later than August 25^th, 2021 with the Wellness Center. Students will need to utilize this plan in the event of an identified COVID-19 exposure for quarantine, or to isolate in the event of a positive COVID test.
• Students who are unvaccinated will be expected to follow all current CDC guidelines for masking, both indoors and outdoors.
• Students who are unvaccinated may be subject to other requirements, including but not limited to requirements, for participation in Athletics.
• If your vaccine status changes, please notify the Wellness Center at wellness@ursinus.edu

Depending on the health of the Ursinus campus and the surrounding community, the above guidelines and requirements are subject to change. Students who are unvaccinated will be expected to adapt to any changing guidelines or requirements as they occur.

Rite-Aid administered the clinic on-campus. You should be able to get a new card by visiting your local Rite-Aid with picture ID. Ask them to look you up and print a new card.

• Protecting yourself and your family/friends from getting it.
• Slowing spread and saving lives of other people who you could unintentionally pass it to.
• Reducing mental stress with the ability to socialize more freely
• some places may require it, including travelling.
  • most likely will be mandatory as of this coming fall 2021

The Pfizer vaccine was administered at the Thursday, April 15th vaccination clinic on campus sponsored by Rite-Aid. This was a FIRST DOSE only clinic.

No.

Tests, such as our weekly campus nasal swab, only test for active virus which the vaccine does not produce. The spike proteins made from the vaccine do not enter the respiratory tract.

However, a vaccine may cause you to test positive for antibodies on a COVID antibody sample from the blood. This only indicates some level of protection against the virus and can occur from a previous infection

More Information

Two Great Resources to review regarding common side effects and helpful tips.

CDC on What to Expect

Possible Side Effects After Getting a COVID-19 Vaccine

• Herd immunity occurs when enough people become immune to a disease to make its spread unlikely. As a result, the entire community is protected, even those who are not themselves immune. Herd immunity is usually achieved through vaccination, but it can also occur through natural infection.
• Herd immunity protects the most vulnerable members of our population. If enough people are vaccinated against dangerous diseases, those who are susceptible and cannot get vaccinated are protected because the germ will not be able to “find” those susceptible individuals. This is crucial for students wanting to travel home and/or visiting other outsiders to our campus.
• The CDC says fully vaccinated people can now safely gather indoors, in small gatherings with other people who are fully vaccinated – no mask required.
• 70%-85% of students should be vaccinated on the Ursinus campus in order to achieve herd immunity

No. COVID-19 vaccines do not change or interact with your DNA in any way.

The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are mRNA vaccines, which teach our cells how to make a protein that triggers an immune response. The mRNA from a COVID-19 vaccine never enters the nucleus of the cell, which is where our DNA is kept. This means the mRNA cannot affect or interact with our DNA in any way.

Yes, you should be vaccinated regardless of whether you already had COVID-19. That’s because experts do not yet know how long you are protected from getting sick again after recovering from COVID-19.

You can still get re-infected with Covid and spread it without the vaccine.

Getting vaccinated is also better protection than getting infected.

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/vaccine-benefits.html

• Get tested weekly
  Yes, it is possible to contract covid although at a much lower chance, and you are still able to spread it to others.
• Wear a mask
  Yes, for the same reasons as stated above.
• Social distance/follow family unit rules
  Yes, follow all rules outlined by Student Affairs