University of Mississippi COVID-19 vaccination

• All employees are encouraged to receive vaccinations as determined by Mississippi Department of Health and their medical provider. When available, Employee Health and/or the School of Pharmacy notifies the campus of the timeframe(s) for having a vaccine administered. The university will provide either onsite access to the vaccines or a list of locations to assist employees in receiving vaccines on their own.
• When the cost of the vaccine is not covered either by Employee Health or School of Pharmacy or if the vaccine is received off-campus at another location, vaccinations should be run through employees’ health insurance where applicable and otherwise be submitted for reimbursement.
• All employees will be paid for time taken to receive vaccinations administered on campus. For offsite vaccinations, employees are to work with their managers to schedule an appropriate time that is least disruptive to the work day.  Up to two hours of administrative leave is available for non-exempt/hourly employees receiving the vaccine offsite when it cannot be scheduled before or after work or during a lunch break.

For more information, visit the HR website or email hr@olemiss.edu with any questions regarding this guidance.

Feb. 4, 2021: MSDH shared that second-dose COVID-19 vaccination appointments will now be made through instructions in your first-dose confirmation e-mail. If you have already been vaccinated, watch for an e-mail message with instructions on scheduling your second appointment. For assistance, call 877-978-6453.

Jan. 28, 2021: The Mississippi State Department of Health announced that second dose appointments can now be made for sites throughout the state immediately after receiving a first dose. There is no need to wait two weeks before scheduling. Schedule online at http://covidvaccine.umc.edu

Jan. 27, 2021: The Mississippi Insurance Department (MID) issued a legal bulletin providing guidance to insurance companies regarding the appropriate coverage for vaccines for COVID-19.

Jan. 15, 2021: MSDH released a statement that additional COVID-19 vaccine was being allocated to Mississippi the week of Jan. 25 to support ongoing vaccination appointments at drive-through sites and allow for a modest amount of doses to be shared with community partners.

Jan. 13, 2021: MSDH released a statement that the recent increase in online vaccination appointments has scheduled all of Mississippi’s current vaccine supply. Appointments are expected to resume in mid-February when Mississippi receives a new vaccine shipment.

Jan. 12, 2021: Gov. Tate Reeves and the MS State Department of Health announced that the state is now giving COVID-19 immunizations for the following populations:

• All Healthcare Workers and EMTs / paramedics
• NEW — Persons 65 years of age or older
• NEW — Persons 18 – 64 years of age with underlying medical conditions

Individuals from these groups are strongly encouraged to schedule an appointment through one of the following:

• MSDH COVID-19 Vaccination Drive Through Scheduler application
• COVID-19 Vaccine Call Center, 877-978-6453
• Local Vaccination Providers

Jan. 8, 2021: The MSDH free drive-through vaccination sites will be expanding, and now those 75 and over can receive COVID-19 vaccinations at one of many local clinics or physicians around the state.

Jan. 5, 2021: The MS State Department of Health issued a Health Alert stating that beginning January 6, 2021, persons 75 years of age and older will be able to schedule appointments at MSDH COVID-19 vaccination clinics throughout the state.

Jan. 4, 2021: Governor Tate Reeves and Dr. Thomas Dobbs, along with other state officials, held a press conference to provide information on the state’s continued health and economic response to COVID-19 including an update on the vaccine.

Jan. 2021: Mississippi is following a phased approach to prioritizing COVID-19 vaccinations. Each phase balances the protection of those most at risk from COVID-19 with the protection of those who maintain essential functions of the community such as healthcare, education, law enforcement, food supply and transportation.

Overview

According to the CDC: “on December 11, 2020, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued an Emergency Use Authorization for use of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine in people aged 16 years and older for the prevention of COVID-19. Because the supply of COVID-19 vaccine in the United States will be limited at first, CDC recommends that initial supplies of COVID-19 vaccine be allocated to healthcare personnel and long-term care facility residents.” On December 18, 2020, the FDA also issued an emergency use authorization for the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine for use in people aged 18 years and older.

The university has assembled a Vaccine Distribution and Administration Task Force, which will develop a strategy to provide ample opportunities for faculty, staff, and students of the university to be immunized using the supply of vaccines provided by the Mississippi Department of Health.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the current status of vaccine rollout in Mississippi?

Currently, the Mississippi State Department of Health vaccine rollout is in Phase 1a, which includes all healthcare personnel and long-term care facility residents.

• Health departments across the state are allowing healthcare providers to sign up for drive-thru vaccinations.
• They are also vaccinating all long-term care facility residents with the help of pharmacies.
• Beginning January 6, 2021, persons 75 years of age and older will be able to schedule appointments at MSDH COVID-19 vaccination clinics throughout the state.
• Dr. Thomas Dobbs, the state health officer, announced on Jan. 4, 2021, that they are working to allow Phase 1b to have access to the drive-thru sites in the coming weeks, which according to the phased rollout, University of Mississippi faculty and staff would qualify for.

Will the University of Mississippi serve as a vaccination site?

The university has signed up as a vaccination site, and as soon as we are given the greenlight to start receiving the vaccine, we will begin administering to our population via Operation Immunization like we do for flu each year. A Vaccine Distribution and Administration Task Force has been formed to handle the logistics.

How will the campus be notified of vaccine updates and availability?

Any updates or new information will be pushed out through normal UM communications, and you can also check out this page dedicated to our vaccine rollout plan. As with everything during the pandemic, information is constantly and rapidly changing, and we are doing our best to adapt and keep our community informed.

Resources

COVID-19 Vaccine Mythbusters

UMMC news release: Black pastors, doctors strive to dispel COVID-19 vaccine doubts

UM news release: Task Force Preparing for Campuswide COVID-19 Vaccinations

Fox 13 Memphis story: Plans in place to vaccinate Ole Miss employees and students

How COVID-19 vaccines use mRNA, by Dr. Josh Sharp

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLoGSc4TnHc&w=560&h=315]

 

Wishing and Hoping and Waiting: Reflections on the arrival of the COVID-19 vaccine, a blog by Dr. Jean Gispen, staff physician with Employee Health.

MS State Department of Health Resources

• Vaccination Against COVID-19
• Mississippi COVID-19 Vaccination Phases

UM Medical Center Resources

• Eight Questions to Consider before taking COVID-19 Vaccines

CDC Resources

• Interim Public Health Recommendations for Fully Vaccinated People
• Key Things to Know About COVID-19 Vaccines
• Pharmacies Participating in the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program
• Frequently Asked Questions about COVID-19 Vaccination
• 8 Things to Know about the U.S. COVID-19 Vaccination Program
• Ensuring the Safety of COVID-19 Vaccines in the United States
• When Vaccine is Limited, Who Gets Vaccinated First?
• How CDC Is Making COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
• Different COVID-19 Vaccines
• General Vaccine Safety