COVID-19 Vaccine Survey and Next Steps

Email highlights

• This message is for all DU personnel, including student workers, but may be of interest to all.
• Complete a brief survey through PioneerWeb to help DU understand how to best support vaccine prioritization.
• Continue wearing masks, social distancing and practicing good hand hygiene to keep our community safe.

Dear DU community,

As a follow-up to last week’s message from Chancellor Haefner and Provost Clark, I wanted to share how we will implement the vaccination principles and procedures we have developed.

Specifically, I invite all DU personnel, including student workers, to complete a brief survey within PioneerWeb that will help us understand how to best support vaccine prioritization for DU personnel within the framework of the state’s phased prioritization guidelines, which may change over time. DU will use the information you provide to generate employer verification letters to support seeking vaccination at the health care provider of your choice. DU has submitted information to enroll as a vaccine provider, but DU is not yet an approved vaccine provider.

If DU becomes an approved vaccine distribution site, this information will also help us to prioritize our vaccination distribution process on campus. According to current state prioritization, most members of the public, ages 16-59, will be eligible for vaccination in Phase 3. Please visit the state website for most current information on prioritization. In the meantime, to help us effectively implement prioritization, we ask that all DU personnel visit the vaccine portal by logging into PioneerWeb and selecting “COVID-19 Vaccination Portal” on the Home tab. Here you may verify or update your personal information and offer additional information through a brief, voluntary survey. For example, the survey will ask if you have already been vaccinated, whether you are interested in priority vaccination, if you would like to disclose a medical condition that may affect your priority status, whether the listed information is correct regarding teaching in person in winter or spring, and whether your phase of access is accurate.

It is currently unclear whether higher education will be included in phase “late 1b/1c.” If it is, in-person teaching for winter and spring and essential in-person staff will be considered for prioritization. For each question, you will be able to indicate yes/no/prefer not to answer. DU will keep your personal health information private and will not share such information other than those directly involved in implementing the prioritization protocols.

As individuals complete the survey, we will review the information provided and make employer eligibility verification letters available as appropriate. If you are interested in vaccination, we strongly encourage you to discuss your vaccination options directly with your health care provider. Please note that you are not required to get the vaccine through your own medical provider. Enrolled vaccine providers cannot exclude individuals who are eligible for vaccination solely based on a lack of affiliation with the health care provider. Please visit the CDPHE vaccine website for more information about the state’s vaccination plan and vaccination locations. If you have additional questions or concerns, please direct them to COVIDcoordinator@du.edu.

Thank you for doing your part to keep yourself and the DU community safe. Vaccination is one important tool, and to stop the spread we all need to keep wearing masks, social distancing and practicing good hand hygiene. These practices have worked well for us so far and will continue to help protect the health and safety of the DU community as we move through the winter and spring months.

Sarah Enos Watamura, Ph.D.
University COVID Response Coordinator