According to a recently enrolled student, the University of North Carolina and Chapel Hill received a letter on Saturday explaining that the University has a COVID 19 Vaccination requirement that was surprising to the student.
The following is the letter in full.
Dear Students,
We hope you are enjoying the beginning of your summer. Next week many of you will log onto ConnectCarolina to enroll for your Fall 2021 classes, and we want to highlight an important “to do” that will be on your page – the COVID-19 Vaccination Certification.
Starting Tuesday, June 1, you will see a COVID-19 Vaccination Certification tile on your Student Requirements Dashboard. You will be asked to acknowledge that you have either received the COVID-19 vaccine, that you have not received the vaccine, or indicate that you choose not to answer. If you have received the vaccine, we will then ask you to fill out the self-report form with the date and type of vaccine you received. If you received the vaccine at the Carolina Vaccination Clinic or have already filled out the vaccine self-report form, you will not have this prompt on your ConnectCarolina page because we already have that information.
Why is this important? First, getting your COVID-19 vaccine is the best way to protect yourself and others from the COVID-19 virus while contributing to a typical, in-person experience at Carolina this fall. Also, the University plans to use your vaccination status to determine participation in the Carolina Together Testing Program and for quarantine and isolation requirements if you are exposed to the virus, which are outlined below.
Vaccinated Students
Students who are vaccinated will NOT be required to participate in asymptomatic testing as part of the Carolina Together Testing Program in the fall. Based on the CDC guidance and input from our public health and medical experts, we know that it is not necessary to test vaccinated individuals as part of asymptomatic evaluation programs. Campus Health will continue to have symptomatic testing available for anyone who has symptoms of COVID-19 or has been identified as a close contact. Also, vaccinated on-campus residential students who are asymptomatic will not be required to move to quarantine housing if they are identified as a close contact of a positive case; instead, they will simply be asked to monitor for symptoms and to seek medical guidance if they develop.
Unvaccinated Students or Choose Not to Answer
Students who have not been fully vaccinated or choose not to answer on the ConnectCarolina form will be required to participate in the Carolina Together Testing Program in the fall. We will share the details of the requirements and frequency closer to the beginning of the semester. In addition, unvaccinated students will be required to move to quarantine and isolation housing if they have a positive test result or are identified as a close contact of a positive case.
If you have not been vaccinated or will not be able to access a vaccine on or before June 1 when you are enrolling for classes, you still have time to get the vaccine. You will be able to change your status on the certification at any time. This is a great time to get the vaccine, so visit the Carolina Together Vaccine page to find information and locations of vaccination clinics. If you have concerns about the vaccine, UNC Health has a hub that addresses many questions, including important facts.
Getting the vaccine is the best tool to return to what matters most to you and your Carolina experience next year, so please take the time to get it.
Sincerely,
The Carolina Together Testing Team
Kari is an ex-Community Organizer who writes about Cultural Marxism, grassroots activism, music, IndyCar racing and political campaigns. @Saorsa1776
