eNews: COVID Thanksgiving Update

Students, Faculty and Staff,

With the Thanksgiving holidays upon us, many of you will be traveling and spending time with family and friends. As you make plans, we wanted you to know that voluntary COVID-19 testing will be available early next week for the entire campus community, as well as continued opportunities to receive COVID-19 vaccines/boosters and the flu vaccine.

COVID Testing During Thanksgiving Week

Baylor University will not require COVID-19 testing for non-exempt students and employees during the week of Thanksgiving, Nov. 22-26, but will offer testing on a voluntary basis to the full campus community.

• Testing will be offered Monday and Tuesday, Nov. 22-23, from 7:45 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the North Village Community Center. No appointments are needed. Use the Waitz app to check wait time.

• All campus testing centers, including NVCC, Robinson and Washington Towers and the Baylor Health Center, will be closed for the Thanksgiving break, Nov. 24-26.

• Required once-weekly testing will resume for non-exempt employees and students the week after Thanksgiving, Nov. 29-Dec. 3.

COVID Vaccinations, Boosters

The Baylor Health Center is offering first and second doses and boosters of all three vaccines (Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson/Janssen), to students and employees, as well as spouses and dependents of employees and students. The Health Center’s vaccination clinic is located on campus at the North Village Community Center (NVCC).

Students and employees can make appointments for themselves through the Health Portal. For appointments for dependents and spouses, call the Health Center at 254-710-1010.

The NVCC vaccination clinic operates from 9 to 11:30 a.m. and 1 to 3:30 p.m. Monday-Friday:

• Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday: Pfizer first and second doses and booster (ages 12 and up)

• Tuesday: J&J/Janssen single-dose and booster (ages 18 and up)

• Wednesday: Pediatric Pfizer first and second doses (ages 5-11). *See special Saturday clinic information below.

• Friday: Moderna first and second doses and booster (ages 18 and up)

Confirming Your Full Vaccination

If you have been fully vaccinated but haven’t yet notified the University, please confirm your vaccination by filling out the brief form at www.baylor.edu/vaccine and uploading a photo of your completed vaccination card.

*Pediatric Pfizer Clinic on Saturday

The Baylor Health Center will offer the pediatric Pfizer vaccine from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Nov. 20, to dependent children ages 5-11 of employees and students. Please note that this special clinic will be held at the Health Center on the second floor of the McLane Student Life Center. Call 254-710-1010 to make an appointment.

Protect Yourself Against the Flu

You might have heard the news about severe flu outbreaks at several universities around the country. We highly encourage you to get your flu vaccine as soon as possible.

• The Health Center offers flu shots for students, faculty and staff from 9 a.m. to 3:55 p.m. Monday-Friday at the NVCC vaccination clinic.

• Students and employees can make an appointment through the Health Portal or walk in.

Together, we have done very well managing COVID-19 on our campus this semester. We thank you for your diligence in following preventive health measures, getting vaccinated or regularly tested to keep our campus healthy and fully open. We wish you all a blessed and safe Thanksgiving.

Sincerely,

Baylor University Health Management Team