After more than a year of waiting, we are finally entering a period where a sizable portion of our UVA community is eligible to receive COVID-19 vaccines, with even more right around the corner. Last week, the Blue Ridge Health District (BRHD) entered Phase 1C of the commonwealth’s vaccine distribution plan, which means that University faculty, staff, student employees, and contractors are now eligible, and BRHD will enter Phase 2 on Monday, April 12.
If you haven’t already, everyone who is newly eligible will receive an email from UVA Health in the coming days with information about how to schedule an appointment.
Starting Monday, people 16 and older also will be eligible for a vaccine, and UVA students will begin receiving personal invitations from UVA Health early next week to schedule vaccination appointments.
Community members who have already registered for vaccinations through the Blue Ridge Health District or Vaccinate Virginia website may receive invitations from both the Blue Ridge Health District and UVA Health. Those who do can take advantage of either invitation to be vaccinated at the first available opportunity.
These developments are great news for our community. UVA Health is working directly with the Commonwealth of Virginia to acquire and distribute as many doses of the vaccine as possible, as quickly as possible. One way every member of our community can help is to register for your appointment as soon as you receive an invitation to do so and to make sure you keep that appointment.
Getting vaccinated as soon as you’re eligible is the best way to stay safe from the virus and return us to the community of living, learning and working together that we all remember. More information about the University’s approach to vaccines is in the update below, as well as on the Coronavirus Information website.
This week’s update also features reminders about the good news we’ve been able to announce over the past week on graduation ceremonies for the University Classes of 2020 and 2021, as well as our plan for students, faculty, and staff to return to living, learning, and working together in-person here at UVA in the fall of 2021.
Finally, while we really can see a light at the end of this long and dark pandemic tunnel, the threat of the virus remains, including the variants of concern. Our need to protect ourselves and those around us remains essential. Please continue wearing your masks, staying distanced, gathering outside whenever possible, and complying with prevalence testing requirements. Your efforts have brought us this far, and now it’s on all of us to finish strong.
Liz Magill
Provost
JJ Davis
Chief Operating Officer
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