Special to 1812Blockhouse
Ohio State’s 92% vaccination rate against COVID-19 helped protect the university community during fall semester while resuming in-person traditions.
In advance of spring semester, the university is calling for another community-wide effort amid a nationwide surge of COVID-19 cases and emerging evidence about the new omicron variant, which is much more transmissible than previous strains of the virus.
Ohio State urges all students, faculty and staff to take action to ensure they have the strongest protection possible through vaccination. Anyone who is not fully vaccinated should do so, and all students, faculty and staff should receive a booster shot as soon as they are eligible.
Vaccination and booster shots, in combination with mask-wearing, proactive testing, washing hands and other health measures, can dramatically reduce the risk of serious illness.
Individuals can find vaccination and booster locations nationwide through www.vaccines.gov or in Ohio through the Ohio Department of Health website. To schedule appointments in central Ohio through the Wexner Medical Center, please see the Safe and Healthy Buckeyes Get Vaccinated page.
Individuals are eligible to get a COVID-19 booster shot six months after completing a two-dose vaccine (Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna) or two months after receiving Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Ohio State requires all students, faculty and staff to complete a primary vaccination series or receive an approved exemption. Boosters are strongly encouraged at this time. Students who have received boosters can report information about their shots to Student Health Services through the My BuckMD medical record system. The university plans to update the Employee Health Record system to allow faculty and staff to submit their booster information in the future.
Ohio State continues to closely monitor COVID-19 and will continue to adjust our safety protocols as needed. The university will continue to share information with the university community in advance of the spring 2022 semester. For complete information about the university’s COVID-19 response, see the Safe and Healthy Buckeyes website.
