Being a responsible Redbird includes taking measures to protect yourself and others from COVID-19 by making every effort to prevent the spread of this disease. As we approach the Fall 2021 semester, the best way to fully return to a more traditional campus experience is to continue to follow public health guidance, which includes getting vaccinated.
As outlined in our previously released Fall 2021 plans, all students are expected to provide evidence of receiving the COVID-19 vaccination prior to the fall term. For students living in on-campus housing, records should be received prior to Move-In. For students living off-campus, records should be received by the first day of class, Monday, August 16.
Students taking courses on campus who do not provide evidence of receiving the COVID-19 vaccine will be required to participate in the COVID-19 on-campus testing program. More information about the testing program will be provided as we near the fall semester.
Vaccination Incentives:
Students who are enrolled in fall courses, who are fully vaccinated, and who upload their COVID-19 vaccination information prior to the first day of class will be entered to win one of the following incentives.
- $1,000 scholarship (Awarded to 100 students)
- $100 in Flex Dollars added to the Redbird ID Card (Awarded to 75 students)
Winners will be notified at their Illinois State University email address the week of August 23. Learn more about the vaccination incentive program.
Why Get Vaccinated?
- COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective and are readily available throughout Illinois and the nation. Learn more about COVID-19 vaccines.
- Even if you have had COVID-19, vaccines provide added protection against future COVID exposures.
- Getting vaccinated protects against the spread of this disease, prevents outbreaks, and protects you and others from getting COVID.
- Vaccination allows individuals to return to pre-COVID activities.
- Vaccinated individuals are less likely to become seriously ill or become hospitalized in the unlikely event they get COVID-19.
- The current vaccines protect against COVID-19 variants, including the Delta variant which is quickly becoming the prominent strain in the United States.
Illinois State University has joined schools across the country in The White House and U.S. Department of Education’s COVID-19 College Vaccine Challenge. The Challenge is part of a nationwide effort to promote vaccination, end the pandemic, and speed the country’s return to more normal operations.
You can share your story about why it is important to get vaccinated. As part of the ongoing #RedbirdsTogether campaign, various University social media accounts will feature pictures, stories, and videos from vaccinated members of the campus community leading up to the start of the fall semester. Learn more and submit your story!
Submitting Vaccination Records
- Submit vaccination records to the secure Patient Health Portal by uploading an image of your COVID-19 Vaccination Record Card received at the time of vaccination or a COVID-19 immunization record provided by a healthcare provider. If you received your COVID-19 vaccination at an on-campus clinic, your COVID-19 vaccination record is already on file with Student Health Services.
- If by August 16 only one dose of a two-dose series has been administered, documentation should still be uploaded to the portal to demonstrate progress made toward becoming fully vaccinated.
- According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), individuals are considered fully vaccinated 2 weeks after their second dose in a 2-dose series or 2 weeks after a single-dose vaccine.
- Student Health Services verifies immunization records as they are received using information provided in governmental immunization databases.
In the future, Illinois State University will consider requiring COVID-19 vaccinations for students should the FDA grant full approval to at least one of the common COVID vaccinations widely available in the U.S. and will follow direction from the Illinois Department of Public Health or the Governor should such guidance mandate students to be vaccinated.
For the most up-to-date information about the University’s approach to COVID-19 and the Fall 2021 term, visit the coronavirus website.
