October 27 update from Vice President for Student Life Jon Dooley

Throughout Fall Semester, Vice President for Student Life Jon Dooley is providing regular email update messages to keep students and parents informed about the efforts for a healthy semester.

Dear Students, Faculty, and Staff,

Summary of updates in this message

  • Status update on campus and in Alamance County
  • Student flu vaccine deadline is this Friday, October 29
  • Eligibility of students, faculty, and staff for COVID-19 vaccine booster shots
  • Reminder about Thanksgiving and end of the semester travel

Status Update

The university dashboard is updated on the Healthy Elon website each weekday morning.

  • 9 new COVID-19 cases were confirmed among Elon students and employees over the past week, October 20-26. This compares to 7 new cases the previous 7-day period.
  • As of yesterday, October 26, there were an estimated 10 active cases among Elon students and employees. This compares to 8 active cases a week ago.
  • The majority of North Carolina counties remain in the high community transmission category, including Alamance and Guilford counties. The CDC and state health officials strongly recommend wearing masks in public indoor settings, including stores, restaurants, and other businesses.

Student flu vaccine deadline is this Friday, October 29

The deadline for students to receive their annual flu vaccine is this Friday, October 29. Students who have not fulfilled the requirement have been directly notified by email and should be finalizing plans to meet the deadline. To fulfill this requirement, students can upload proof of vaccination from an off-campus provider to the Phoenix Health portal or request a medical/religious waiver. Advance registration is full for the final on-campus flu clinic this Friday, but a limited number of walk-ups will be accepted, depending upon wait time and number of vaccines available.

Eligibility of students, faculty, and staff for COVID-19 vaccine booster shots

The CDC announced last week that they have expanded eligibility for COVID-19 booster shots. All students, faculty, and staff who received the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna COVID-19 vaccines are eligible for a booster shot at 6 months or more after their initial series. Booster shots are recommended for those who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine two or more months ago.

The federal vaccine website has a helpful tool to find a vaccination location. The university is planning for an on-campus clinic after Thanksgiving Break with Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines.

Elon students, faculty, and staff are asked to upload their vaccine documentation here by selecting “booster shot” under the status drop-down menu. There is no university requirement for booster shots at this time. Visit the Healthy Elon Vaccination Central web page for full information about vaccinations and boosters.

Reminder about Thanksgiving and end of the semester travel

As a reminder, all undergraduate and graduate classes and exams from Monday, November 29, through the end of the semester will be in-person, as previously announced. Students should plan end-of-the-semester travel in accordance with the published undergraduate academic calendar and the undergraduate exam schedule. Graduate and law school academic calendars and exam schedules are available on their respective program websites.

The Healthy Elon website provides important health and wellness information for students and employees, including what to do if you feel ill, test positive, or have close contact with a positive case. The site also offers responses to frequently asked questions about academics, vaccination, and employee information.

The next email update will be sent by Wednesday, November 3, at 10:45 a.m., unless an additional message is warranted before then. Detailed information is always available on the Healthy Elon website.

Dr. Jon Dooley

Vice President for Student Life