Dear Students, We are eager for your return to campus and, of course, want you back healthy and well. As we look forward to a more “normal” fall 2021 semester, we encourage you to do your part and get vaccinated— for yourself, your family, your fellow students and our entire campus community. To the many students who are already vaccinated, thank you! If you are still considering a vaccine, time is running out for you to be fully vaccinated before your return to campus and the start of classes on Aug. 23. Please do not wait until the beginning of the school year to think about getting vaccinated, as it could take as long as six weeks into the semester for you to be fully immunized. These are six weeks that you are vulnerable to the virus. At best, even a mild case of COVID-19 causes you to feel bad and miss classes, adding the stressors of make-up classwork and exams to stay on track. And at worst, 99.5% of COVID-19 deaths in Texas since February were those who were unvaccinated. Find a Vaccine One great vaccine finder tool is now available - text your ZIP code to GETVAX (438829) in English, or VACUNA (822862) in Spanish, to get the contact information of three nearby locations with available vaccines, complete with transportation opportunities. On the University of Houston campus, vaccines are available at the Lone Star Circle of Care clinic located in the Health 2 building. Call 346-348-1200 for more information. We want you to have a learning, working and living environment that is as safe as possible as we plan for a transition back to campus for fall 2021. We continue to encourage face masks—especially for those who are unvaccinated— and good hand hygiene. Preventing the spread of COVID-19 is a shared responsibility, and we all play a role. For more information, please visit the UH COVID-19 website. I look forward to seeing you around campus! Go Coogs, In health and happiness,
Suzy Harrington, DNP, RN, MCHES |
