COVID-19 Vaccine Policy

UC COVID-19 Vaccine Policy

For the safety and well-being of the entire UC Davis community, the UC COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate requires, with few exceptions, that all students, faculty and staff be vaccinated against the coronavirus, including all CDC recommended boosters, when eligible.

UPDATE: On Sept. 1, the CDC recommended updated COVID-19 boosters from Pfizer for people 12 and older and from Moderna for people 18 and older. The updated boosters are bivalent vaccines, meaning they target both the most recent Omicron subvariants as well as the original COVID-19 strain. 

With this recommendation, the UC Vaccine policy now requires all staff and students to get the bivalent booster, when eligible (two months after either an initial series or monovalent booster). Campus leaders recognize that the availability of the bivalent vaccine is currently limited. Please note: Compliance with the bivalent booster requirement does not yet affect employment status, access to facilities or access to services at UC Davis.

  • Why am I getting a purple Conditionally Approved result on my Daily Symptom Survey?
  • As of Sept. 24, Health-e-Messaging will begin flagging accounts that have not reported bivalent booster information for those who appear eligible for this latest booster shot. Until you record your bivalent booster information in Health-e-Messaging, you will receive a “not compliant” mark in your Medical Clearances in HEM and a purple “Conditionally Approved” status on your Daily Symptom Survey. Not to worry, neither of these designations will impact your access to university facilities or services. Please consider these notices a reminder that you need to take action to become compliant with UC Vaccine Policy, and monitor campus news for updates regarding enforcement.

Report your booster information

If you need to report a new booster, first log in to Health-e-Messaging and click the gold “Enter my COVID-19 Vaccination Information” button on the homescreen. Click “Add Immunization” and enter the booster type and date. Then upload a photo of your updated vaccination card. Remember to click Save and Done to complete this process. 

Where can I get vaccinated?

All UC Davis employees and students are eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine in California.

  • UC Davis students can schedule free appointments for Pfizer vaccinations and booster shotAnchors at the Student Health and Wellness Center through the Health-e-Messaging portal. Please remember to bring your personal identification and proof of prior immunization (either physical or digital vaccination card, if receiving a booster) to your appointment. Students may also find appointments off-campus via My Turn or the national database Vaccines.gov.  
  • Employees and community members can find free vaccinations and boosters at multiple clinic locations in Yolo County, including options found on the My Turn website or the national database Vaccines.gov. Pharmacies such as Rite Aid, Walgreens and CVS also have direct scheduling portals.

Report your vaccine information

Not sure if you've successfully reported your vaccine information from your initial series? Here's how upload your initial vaccine and booster information and check whether you are currently compliant with the UC Vaccine Mandate:

View the step-by-step guide for Vaccine Verification and Upload

To comply with the vaccine mandate, all UC Davis students and employees will need to verify their vaccination status in Health-e-Messaging via one of these options:

  • If you were vaccinated in California
  • Sign an authorization form to provide access to your vaccine status via the California Immunization Registry database (CAIR2). To sign this authorization form, log in to Health-e-Messaging. In the left-side menu, click on Medical Clearances, find “COVID-19 Vaccine Verification Authorization” and then click “Update” to read the authorization form, sign your name and submit the final form. If you were vaccinated within California, this option will allow campus to verify your vaccine status, so you will not need to self-report your vaccine information with date(s) and vaccine card images. 

    OR

    Self-report your vaccine information by following these step-by-step instructions.
  • If you were vaccinated outside of California
  • Self-report your vaccine information by following these step-by-step instructions.
  • If you are living outside of the United States
  • Any of the vaccines that have been authorized by the World Health Organization can be entered into your Health-e-Messaging records to meet the university’s vaccine mandate requirements, using the instructions above to self-report your vaccine information. (Please note that Novavax clinical trial participants who participated long enough in the trial to receive a CDC vaccine card will also be able to present that card as proof of initial compliance with the policy, though boosters may later be required.)

Please allow up to 48 hours for your information to become verified. Once your information is verified, then you should see your COVID-19 vaccination status marked “Compliant” in the “Medical Clearances” section of Health-e-Messaging. If you have followed these instructions and continue to be notified that your vaccine record is missing, please contact shcscovidquestions@ucdavis.edu for further troubleshooting.

 

FAQs

  • I already got my initial vaccine and/or booster and reported my information. Why am I not marked as compliant in Health-e-Messaging?
  • First step: Please carefully follow these instructions to report your vaccine information in Health-e-Messaging.

    Some potential troubleshooting tips we have found useful for reporting vaccine information:

    > If you were vaccinated within California, and chose to sign the “COVID-19 Vaccine Verification Authorization,” it is possible that your records in the California Immunization Record are incomplete or are not entering our system correctly. Please try entering your dates and uploading images of your vaccination card instead or contact shcscovidquestions@ucdavis.edu for further troubleshooting.

    > If you were vaccinated outside of California, you will need to enter your vaccine manufacturer, date(s) of injection(s) and upload images of your vaccination card.

    > If you only uploaded a card and did not enter the date(s) and manufacturer, then you need to finish reporting this information before you can be marked as compliant.

    > If the dates you entered are closer in time than the recommended time between doses, then your information will not be approved. Double check the dates on your record as it is easy to type in the wrong date.

    > If the dates you entered are not formatted as MM/DD/YYYY, then you will need to adjust your browser settings to English and re-enter your dates.

    > If you have entered “Other Cov-19” as the manufacturer, your information will not be automatically approved (only the vaccines that are listed by name).

    > If you received doses of two different types of vaccine, then you will not be marked as compliant.

    > If you were vaccinated via UC Davis Health or the UC Davis Medical Center, you will still need to report your vaccination information to the Health-e-Messaging portal. The only vaccinations that are pre-loaded in the Health-e-Messaging portal are those that took place at the UC Davis ARC vaccine clinic or the UC Davis Student Health and Wellness Center. Vaccinations from any other clinic or location will need to be reported by following the directions on this webpage, under “Report your vaccine information.”

    > If you already entered dates and uploaded images of your vaccination card(s), please contact shcscovidquestions@ucdavis.edu with details about your record for further troubleshooting.
  • When should I get a booster, and which one?
  • Please review the current CDC guidance for booster shots for individuals who received the Pfizer, Moderna or Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine. The CDC also provides guidance for individuals who were vaccinated outside of the United States.
  • Which vaccines are approved to meet the UC requirement?
  • Any of the vaccines that have been authorized by the World Health Organization can be entered into your Health-e-Messaging records to meet the university’s vaccine mandate requirements, using the instructions above to self-report your vaccine information. (Please note that Novavax clinical trial participants who participated long enough in the trial to receive a CDC vaccine card will also be able to present that card as proof of initial compliance with the policy, though boosters may later be required.)
  • Can a student or employee choose not to be vaccinated? 
  • To be compliant with University of California policy, students and employees will need to either be fully vaccinated or else secure an approved exception (on medical, disability or religious grounds) or deferral (based on pregnancy). See more details and FAQs in the UC COVID-19 Vaccine Policy.
  • I’m having symptoms because of the vaccine, should I go to work?
  • Symptoms can develop because of a reaction to the vaccine, but they can also develop because of an infection from the virus. Campus policy and best public health practices require you to stay home when feeling any symptoms. You may return to work after symptoms resolve from taking the vaccine.