UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — In the latest COVID-19 vaccination report for the University Park campus, the vast majority of students living on campus — more than 86% — have provided proof of vaccination to the University. In addition, 83% of full-time employees at University Park have indicated that they are fully vaccinated.
The combined reported vaccination rate for University Park students — all individuals living on- and off-campus — is 80%. Approximately 78% of off-campus students have uploaded their proof of vaccination, and more are continuing to upload each day -- therefore actual vaccination rates may be higher. Students who have not uploaded their vaccination information received an email and now will be required to test weekly. The University expects this will spur additional uploads by students who are vaccinated but have not yet uploaded. In addition, unvaccinated employees will be required to undergo weekly testing.
“We believe a proportion of those who haven’t yet uploaded their proof of vaccination have already received their shots, as we are seeing more and more off-campus students uploading their proof of vaccination as the semester begins. In fact, as of Friday (Aug. 27) we received an additional 2,500 uploads,” said Penn State President Eric Barron. “I’m grateful to all of our students, faculty and staff who have already been vaccinated and shared their status with the University and all of those who are doing the right things to help slow transmission. We believe our multi-pronged approach of incentivizing vaccines, indoor masking and testing plan will continue to be, an effective strategy at mitigating this virus.”
Among Penn State employees, 98% of administrators, 91% of academic personnel (instructors, researchers and faculty) and 79% of nonunion staff report being vaccinated.
All of the vaccination rates for University Park, which only include individuals who are fully vaccinated not those who are partially vaccinated, are significantly higher than the 57% rate for adults in Centre County, as reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The University this summer surveyed students and employees about their COVID-19 vaccination status or their plans to get vaccinated before the start of the fall semester. Of the 71% of University Park students who responded to the survey, 88% reported being partially or fully vaccinated. The response rate for University Park employees was 54% and, of those, 93% reported being vaccinated.
Penn State previously announced that unvaccinated students and employees will be required to test weekly for COVID-19 throughout the fall semester. Penn State students — including those at University Park, Commonwealth Campuses and Dickinson Law — can upload their vaccination records through myUHS. All University employees and World Campus students can upload their vaccination records through Salesforce Health Cloud.
Voluntary and symptomatic testing are also available on Penn State campuses. At University Park, drop-in asymptomatic testing is available from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday through Friday at the Pegula Ice Arena and 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday through Friday at the White Building for all students living on or near campus. At all Commonwealth Campuses, student tests will be distributed by the student health center or designated office, or can ordered through the mail via the Vault Health mail-in test kit. Students should contact their campus student health center or office of student affairs for more information.
Students who are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 should seek out symptomatic testing through a University or local health care provider. At University Park, students living on campus or in the local community who are exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19 should continue to schedule testing appointments with University Health Services (UHS) via myUHS. Students living on or near other Penn State campuses should seek symptomatic testing via their campus’ health services or a local provider. Employees who are experiencing symptoms are advised to schedule an appointment with their health care provider.
Penn State strongly encourages all individuals to receive a COVID-19 vaccination as soon as they are able, if they have not done so already. Throughout the fall semester, vaccines will continue to be available on or near all campuses. The CDC’s vaccines.gov website provides a list of nearby providers, including hospitals, doctor’s offices, pharmacies, department stores and grocery stores. At University Park, University Health Services will offer appointments for vaccines on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. UHS also hosted a vaccine clinic on Aug. 23 and 24 where students could receive their first or second dose of the Moderna vaccine. Students can schedule appointments online through UHS.
For the latest information about Penn State’s response to the coronavirus, go to https://virusinfo.psu.edu/.