This message to all faculty and staff has been approved by Kyle Clark, Vice President for Finance & Administration.
As previously communicated, Florida State University, in partnership with Tallahassee Memorial Hospital and the Leon County Health Department, is pleased to expand eligibility for COVID-19 vaccination to Florida State University faculty and staff who are medically vulnerable on an extremely limited basis. FSU faculty and staff who meet the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) definition of “extremely vulnerable” will also be eligible to register for vaccination appointments through the University. At this time, eligible employees do not include those whose primary relationship is as a student. We hope to be able to quickly expand eligibility once we have enough supply to do so.
The CDC defines extreme medical vulnerability as:
- People with chronic lung disease or moderate to severe asthma.
- People who have serious heart conditions.
- People who are immunocompromised, including cancer treatment.
- People of any age with severe obesity (BMI >40) or certain underlying medical conditions, particularly if not well controlled, such as those with diabetes, renal failure, or liver disease, might also be at risk.
- Chronic kidney disease
- Down Syndrome
- Sickle Cell disease
- Diabetes
- People who have been classified clinically as extremely vulnerable based on clinical judgment and assessment by the clinician.
Individuals who meet the criteria defined by the CDC will need to provide certification from their clinician (MD, DO, PA, NP) attesting to their eligibility. A copy of the form may be found by visiting the FSU vaccination website. The Medically Vulnerable Verification Form must be completed and signed by the recipient’s medical provider and submitted through the Vulnerable Employee Pre-Registration Process, which can be accessed at https://vaccine.fsu.edu/employee.
Once submitted, the Office of Human Resources will review the pre-registration and respond within 3-5 business days as directed by health officials. Once approved, the individual will receive an email with a registration link unique to their approval. This link cannot be shared or forwarded. Once registered, they will receive a confirmation email with additional details on their appointment.
The vaccine will be distributed within Florida Department of Health guidelines. Individuals are encouraged to speak with their primary care provider to discuss any questions before electing to be vaccinated. If you have any of the following conditions, please consider consulting with your current medical provider if you need guidance on COVID-19 vaccination for your specific situation:
- Pregnancy
- Breastfeeding
- Compromised immune system (such as cancer or if you take certain immunosuppressive medications)
Some pre-existing medical conditions may exclude you from receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. According to the CDC and public health professionals, there are times when you should defer vaccination for COVID-19:
- If you have been given any other vaccine two weeks before getting the COVID-19 vaccine. You should also not have any other vaccine until more than two weeks after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine.
- History of severe COVID-19 illness, and you were treated with COVID-19 antibodies within the past three months
- Currently have a moderate or severe illness
- Recently been diagnosed with COVID-19 and have not yet recovered and been cleared from isolation
- Under quarantine as a close contact of someone who has tested positive for COVID-19
- If you have a history of allergic reactions, you may still receive the COVID-19 vaccine as long as the allergy was not to a vaccine component. Clinical staff will monitor you after the vaccination for your safety.
Individuals who have the opportunity and would like to vaccinate outside the University are still encouraged to do so. Please remember to wear short sleeve clothing that can easily expose your arm on the day of your vaccination.
For questions about COVID-19 vaccination, please contact HR-COVID19@fsu.edu.