Booster shot clinic December 9 and event protocol reminders

Mark Parisi, director of counseling and health services, sent the following email to employees and students on November 30, 2021.

We’re very proud of the efforts you have made to keep our community safe during the COVID-19 pandemic. As you can see from recent reports about the Omicron variant and proactive efforts to mitigate the impact of it while scientists gather more information, COVID-19 is still a threat to public health.

Fortunately, we are well-versed in preventative methods. At Saint Rose, we’ve mandated the vaccine for students and employees, unless a medical or religious exemption has been granted. We also require that masks are worn in our buildings, with specific exceptions.

I have two important pieces of information to share that will help protect our campus:

On-campus vaccine booster clinic: The CDC recommends a booster dose for those 18 and over who have completed their full COVID-19 vaccination series. You are eligible to receive a booster dose of the vaccine 6 months after Dose 2 of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines or 2 months after Dose 1 of the J&J vaccine.

On Thursday, December 9, the College will hold a free COVID-19 booster clinic for students and employees from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the Daniel P. Nolan Gymnasium. We will offer the Pfizer booster. The CDC says it is OK to mix-and-match your booster doses. That means if you previously received a Moderna or J&J vaccine, you could get the Pfizer booster. You must sign up here for the clinic in advance.

Currently, the College is not mandating that students and employees get a booster, though public health officials say it is an important line of defense for not only yourself but others, and we encourage you to get your booster when you are eligible.

Event guidelines: As the nation reopened during the pandemic, guidance about what is advised in public spaces, such as mask wearing, became murky. This includes confusion on our campus. We want to hold events and activities so we can enjoy a sense of community, we just need to do it safely and with clear, widely understood expectations.

The event policy that can be found here should clarify College requirements. In short: Enjoy events but wear masks indoors, except under specific exceptions outlined in the policy. Of course, the pandemic is fluid and policies may change as circumstances evolve.

Please read my Health Services updates on Fridays and the restart section of the College’s website for more information.

Be well,

Mark Parisi
Director of Counseling and Health Services