COVID-19 Vaccine Information

Who is eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine at a location on UGA Campus?
Paid UGA faculty, staff, and students are eligible to receive the vaccine. This includes faculty, staff, and students at UGA’s extended campuses.

 

What if I am based at a UGA extended campus or elsewhere in the state?
You may receive the vaccine at the UHC in Athens during your eligible Phase. You may also receive the vaccine from your local healthcare provider or Department of Public Health.

You will not be required to take leave to travel to and from the Athens campus should you come to the UHC for your scheduled COVID-19 vaccination appointment. The authorized use of a University vehicle to travel to and from the Athens campus to receive the vaccine at the UHC is permissible. Authorized travel mileage reimbursement to and from the Athens campus is also permissible to receive the vaccine at the UHC.

 

Who can get an appointment for the COVID-19 vaccine?
Governor Brian Kemp and the Georgia Department of Public Health (GDPH) have announced that, beginning Thursday, March 25, 2021, all adults over the age of 16 in Georgia will be eligible for COVID-19 vaccination. The University Health Center (UHC) will soon begin issuing invitations for appointments to the remainder of our faculty, staff and students over age 16.

    Invitations will be extended to groups in this order:
  1. all those 16 and over who have comorbidities who have not yet received an invitation;
  2. all those 35-54 who do not have a comorbidity; and
  3. all those who are 16 and older.

If the number in a group exceeds the available supply of vaccine, a random sample of individuals in the identified group will be utilized. This process will continue in accordance with the volume of vaccine received each week. Please read more here.

The most recent updates to eligibility for COVID-19 Vaccine in the State of Georgia are here: dph.georgia.gov/covid-vaccine.

 

How do I make an appointment?
Vaccines will only be given by appointment, and we are being very careful to ensure that no vaccine is wasted. You will receive an email invite that includes instructions on how to make an appointment and register with the University Health Center. You will not need to take leave for your vaccine appointments; if you choose to receive the vaccine from somewhere other than the UHC, please work with your supervisor if this will require you to be away from work for more than 2 hours. Supervisors should provide as much flexibility as is reasonable to facilitate vaccine appointments.

We have prepared a brief video that explains how the process is managed at the University Health Center. If you have not already watched the video, we encourage you to do so.

 

I did not get my first Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine at the University of Georgia’s UHC; can I get the second dose at UHC?
Yes. We will need to confirm availability of the same vaccine as your first dose. Please email covidvaccine@uhs.uga.edu.

 

What is the cost for vaccination?
There is no out-of-pocket cost for COVID-19 vaccination. You will be asked to provide your insurance card so we can charge an administration fee. If you are uninsured or your insurance does not reimburse for the administration fee, you will not be billed.

 

Can I request a specific brand of vaccine?

  • We use vaccine as we receive it. For your first dose you may receive the Pfizer, Moderna, or Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
  • If you require the second dose of vaccine, you will receive the same brand as your first dose (for example, if you were vaccinated with Pfizer first, your second dose will be Pfizer).

 

If I receive Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, how will I know when to come back for my second vaccination?

  • We will make a return appointment for you to receive your second dose. You will also receive a vaccination card that tells you which vaccine you received and when you need to return.
  • If you receive the Pfizer vaccine, you will need to return in about 3 weeks for your second dose. If you receive the Moderna vaccine, you will need to return in about 4 weeks.

 

Why will I need to stay on site for monitoring after my vaccination?
We recommend you stay for 15-30 minutes after receiving the vaccine.

 

After I receive the vaccine do I still need to wear a mask and practice social distancing?
Yes! We will still need to wear masks and practice physical distancing until a large proportion of the population is vaccinated and we are sure the vaccine provides long-term protection. Initially, we will not have enough vaccine to vaccinate everyone who wants the vaccine, and the virus will still be transmitted.

 

What if I work outside of UGA in a setting that qualifies me to be eligible to receive a vaccine?

  • UGA’s Closed Point of Dispensing agreement with the GA Department of Health is to cover individuals based on their role with UGA (active employment or whose role as a student qualifies them to receive a vaccine. Roles outside of UGA (e.g., employee elsewhere or as a volunteer) do not qualify an individual to be shifted to be eligible earlier in UGA’s distribution. However, those with a role that is different than their role at UGA that qualifies them as eligible, may visit the GDPH website to locate other vaccine distribution sites (https://dph.georgia.gov/covid-vaccine).

 

What if there are extra doses of vaccine?

  • At the end of the day, if the number of available vaccines and the number of scheduled appointments is not congruent, we 1) contact scheduled patients to reschedule for the next day and not open another vial, 2) contact patients who are scheduled for the next day to come in a day early to utilize every dose in an open vial or 3) contact patients we know that are in the appropriate tier who have not yet received vaccine that might be interested. UHC is committed to utilizing every dose of vaccine possible.

 

Vaccine-specific FAQs:

 

Where can I learn more about the different vaccines?
www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/different-vaccines.html

 

What are the most common side effects?
Side effects are mild, temporary, and normal signs that your body is building protections. You may experience pain and swelling in the arm of the injection. Throughout the rest of your body you may experience fever, chills, tiredness, and headache.

 

Can someone contract COVID-19 from the vaccine?
No, it is not possible to contract COVID-19 from the vaccine. COVID-19 vaccines use inactivated virus, parts of the virus, or a gene from the virus. The vaccine imitates the infection so that our bodies create antibody defenses to fight off COVID-19.

 

If I already had COVID-19 should I still get the vaccine?
Yes. Individuals with a history of COVID-19 may wait for 90 days to receive the vaccine. However, you are eligible to receive the vaccine two weeks after completion of an isolation period.

 

Is the vaccine effective?
Yes! All three vaccines currently available for administration are extremely effective at reducing moderate to severe COVID-19 infections, including death. When ease of access, onset of immunity, context of initial trials, population benefits, and side effects are taken into account, we consider them equivalent. Vaccine specific efficacy information can be found at: www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/effectiveness.html

 

How long before the vaccine offers protection?
The vaccine can take up to two weeks to offer protection.

 

How long will the vaccine offer protection?
We do not yet know how long immunity lasts.

 

What if I have additional questions about the vaccine?
Please refer to the following sites: