Faculty and staff encouraged to look to local resources as UF Health seeks additional vaccine supply
In late December and early January, UF Health was asked to vaccinate as many individuals as possible and as quickly as possible for those who met eligibility criteria outlined by the state and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. However, at this time, it is unknown when or if additional vaccines will be arriving or when the state plans to expand eligibility.
Vaccine allocation and distribution are managed at the federal and state levels, so the ability to offer vaccines depends in part on the number and timing of doses received. Vaccine manufacturers provide supply to state departments of health based on federal allocations. UF and UF Health’s goal has always been to offer vaccination to anyone seeking it, once there is a sufficient supply, and still hope to do so for additional students, faculty and staff through support of the Florida Department of Health in Alachua County’s efforts to expand access across the community.
In the meantime, UF and UF Health continue to provide IT support to local health department officials to help facilitate registration for vaccination using health department doses, and have provided access to sites on campus to help support their vaccine clinics. The continued lack of transmission in classroom settings and the low positivity rate on campus are encouraging, and the UF community continues to embrace safety measures including the use of masks, frequent hand washing and physical distancing.
Additional vaccination resources:
Given this update, you are encouraged to explore all available options. Please check with your local health department if you have not already done so to see if you meet current vaccine eligibility criteria and follow their instructions to make an appointment. In Alachua County, you can visit the Public Health Department website to be added to the wait-list.
Links to area retail pharmacies offering the vaccination to eligible populations may be found below. Please also continue to be on the lookout for communication from UF Health in case additional doses may be offered. UF Health is monitoring the situation on a daily — and often hour-to-hour — basis.
Currently, available retail pharmacy scheduling links include:
Please note that Walgreens and CVS are working to qualify to offer COVID-19 vaccinations in Florida, but have not yet started offering them here.
We know everyone is concerned and eager to know more, and we will continue to provide updates like this as soon as we have more information.