Dear Members of the Teachers College Community,
Your safety and wellbeing are our highest priorities.
Last Friday, we offered updated information regarding campus access requirements for testing and screening. As daily cases of COVID-19 continue to surge regionally and nationally, it is critically important for everyone on campus to continue getting tested and to observe guidelines for facial covering, physical distancing, and hand washing.
Today, I am writing to call everyone’s attention to our new COVID-19 vaccination information section on the TC Preparedness site. There you will find up-to-date information on vaccination eligibility, answers to frequently asked questions, and links to vital resources, including specific plans and guidelines for New York City and State, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania.
We will update the COVID-19 vaccination site with new information as events warrant, and notify all affiliates when they are eligible to receive the vaccine.
Currently, New York State has moved into Phase 1b, with those who are 65 or older, public safety and school employees, grocery workers, in-person college instructors, and other groups now eligible to receive the vaccine. Those persons under age 65 with underlying health risks will become eligible for the vaccine once Phase 1c is announced.
It is important to keep two important points in mind.
First, the timeline and scope for federal and state plans to deliver the vaccine are subject to frequent change. The Biden administration is mounting an aggressive nationwide vaccination effort over the next three months. A new single-dose COVID-19 vaccine could possibly receive emergency FDA approval in two weeks. At the same time, the emergence of new variants of the virus that causes COVID-19 bears close attention.
Second, the majority of our TC population will not be eligible for vaccination most likely until later in the spring at the earliest. That is why it is imperative that all members of our community, including those who have been vaccinated, continue observing all of our health and safety guidelines and protocols.
In the midst of this dangerous phase in the pandemic, there is no question that observing mitigation practices can save lives. So please take good care of yourselves – and one another.
Sincerely,
Lisa Seales
Vice President for Administration