Your Health

The unprecedented conditions of the pandemic mean that now, more than ever, it’s important for all members of the USF community to treat one another with care and dignity. It is critical that we pause and reflect on how our words and reactions can affect others during this global health crisis. We all have to do our part.

Student Vaccination Requirement

All students taking in person classes are required to be fully vaccinated for fall 2021 and have the booster for spring 2022.

Vaccines are crucial to having a safe, healthy environment at USF and in our broader community. We encourage you to get a vaccine as soon as you are able to do so. As a reminder, all students should:

  1. Schedule their vaccine, including booster, as soon as possible.
  2. Protect and duplicate vaccine documentation cards.
  3. For California residents, obtaining and saving the California Digital COVID-19 Vaccine Record.

Here are resources for securing a vaccination appointment in the United States: 

  • Visit VaccineFinder.org to find vaccination providers near you. In some states, information may be limited while more vaccination providers and pharmacies are being added. 
  • Check your local pharmacy’s website to see if vaccination appointments are available. Find out which pharmacies are participating in the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program. 
  • Contact your state health department to find additional vaccination locations in your area.

International students

International students are eligible to receive the vaccine in the U.S. International students living in the U.S. can follow the steps above to book a vaccination appointment in their current location or in San Francisco. Students arriving from abroad will be able to receive the vaccine upon arrival.

If you are an international student currently abroad and have completed a World Health Organization (WHO)-authorized vaccine series in your home country, you are considered fully vaccinated in the U.S. Following are the WHO-authorized vaccines:

  • Pfizer (two doses) 
  • Moderna (two doses) 
  • Johnson & Johnson (one dose) 
  • AstraZeneca (two doses) 
  • BIBP/Sinopharm (one dose) 
  • Sinovac
  • Novavax
  • COVOVAX
  • Covishield
  • Covaxin

If you have not completed a WHO-authorized vaccine series, or if you received a non-authorized vaccine, you need to get an FDA-authorized series in the U.S. to be considered fully vaccinated. Lastly, if you are an international student hoping to work in the U.S., there may be additional vaccine requirements from your employer. 

As a reminder, students who complete a vaccine series are not required to complete the travel quarantine upon arrival.

Proof of vaccination 

USF is partnering with Med+Proctor to track proof of vaccination. If you have received one or both doses of the COVID-19 vaccine and the booster, please submit the results through Med+Proctor.

With proper documentation, USF will accept medical exemptions and religious exemptions to the COVID-19 vaccine requirement. As of August 12, 2021, USF is no longer accepting personal exemptions. Medical exemption requires a letter from a health care provider stating that the immunization is medically contraindicated. Proof of medical exemption can be submitted directly to Med+Proctor.

Religious exemptions will only be accepted for the COVID-19 vaccine (and not other USF-required immunizations). An exemption requires a signed written statement from the student describing the reason for the exemption and must include:

  • An explanation of the reason for exemption in your own words
  • A description of the religious principle that guides your objection
  • An indication of whether this religious belief constitutes an objection to all immunizations or only this vaccine; if it is not an objection to all immunizations, you must explain the religious basis for not receiving this particular immunization

Statements must be signed and submitted to USF Health Promotion Services using this form.

Students who receive exemptions will receive additional information regarding testing and other university expectations.

Testing

If you have had at least one of the symptoms of COVID-19 or you believe that you have come in close contact with a person who tested positive for COVID-19, you should follow the below steps and provide Health Promotion Services with your test results.

Get tested for COVID-19 if:

In the spring 2022 semester, on-campus testing will be available every Wednesday and Thursday. To participate and sign up, please visit HPS COVID-19 Resources.

Contact Tracing

Report the results of the test to the COVID-19 Response Team at covidtracing@usfca.edu.

It is imperative that the university has the test results so that your fellow students/co-workers and other contacts can take measures to protect themselves and others. Even a negative result is important, so we will know whether to allow those individuals to return to work.

The individual’s personal information will be held strictly confidential. As required by law, the COVID-19 Response Team may disclose the student/employee’s information to public health, school, and legal authorities charged with preventing or controlling communicable diseases.

Respect the Community

  • Resist the tendency to make broad generalizations about people. Harmful behaviors can occur when anxiety and fear are projected onto entire social groups.
  • Treat community members with care and empathy.