01/11/21 - COVID-19 Vaccination Update

Dear Campus Community,

I know that there are many questions about the COVID-19 vaccination plan. While we do not have all the answers, I can share with you that NKU will be offering the COVID-19 vaccine on campus for faculty, staff and students. There will be no charge for getting the vaccine.

We are monitoring the Commonwealth of Kentucky’s Draft COVID-19 Vaccination Plan and Updates to develop our distribution protocols and prioritization schedule. Please note that Kentucky’s plan will be updated on a regular basis, which might mean that we will have to modify our plan as well. At this point, here is what we know about the COVID-19 vaccination schedule:

• NKU faculty and staff are part of Phase 1C.
• However, beginning next week, our licensed clinical healthcare faculty and staff who might be mobilized under the new crisis standards of care operations, and students who will have clinicals in healthcare settings will be able to get the vaccine through our healthcare partners (for example St. Elizabeth Healthcare).
• In early February, we expect that NKU employees over the age of 70 and those who work in K-12 schools will be able to receive the vaccine.
• In mid-March, we anticipate that the remainder of NKU employees and students with underlying or preexisting health conditions (as defined by the CDC) will be able to get vaccinated.
• Students without underlying health conditions (as defined by CDC) will be able to get vaccinated according to when Phase 2 (over age 40) and Phase 3 (over age 16) vaccinations are available. At this point, we do not have a date when we can begin vaccinating those students.

We are currently developing a draft plan and a set of protocols for administering and distributing the vaccine in the most efficient manner possible. As the Commonwealth’s plan is updated, or we receive new guidelines and directives from the Biden administration, NKU’s vaccination plan will also evolve. We will share any updates through the Provost’s COVID weekly message. In the meantime, please remember to follow our Norse Nine principles.

Thank you for all you do to keep our campus community healthy.

Sincerely,
Ashish Vaidya