Dear Temple faculty and staff,

This past Friday, the Philadelphia Board of Health announced a new regulation mandating COVID-19 vaccines for all staff and faculty members, students, and contractors at colleges and universities located in the city. 

To comply with this regulation, members of the Temple University community must receive their final dose of vaccine by Oct. 1 to be fully vaccinated by Friday, Oct. 15, unless they have a medical or religious exemption.  An individual is ”fully vaccinated” 2 weeks or more following the second dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines or 2 weeks or more following a single dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.  In order to meet this requirement, employees must receive their vaccination doses by the following dates:

• Individuals choosing the two-dose Pfizer vaccine must receive their first shot by Sept. 10 and their second by Oct. 1 to be fully vaccinated by the Oct. 15 deadline.
• Individuals choosing the two-dose Moderna vaccine must receive their first shot by Sept. 3 and their second by Oct. 1 to be fully vaccinated by the Oct. 15 deadline. 
• Individuals choosing the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine must have their shot by Oct.1 to be fully vaccinated by the Oct. 15 deadline. 

Once you are fully vaccinated, upload your vaccine information to temple.edu/vaxupload. If you are requesting a religious or medical exemption, complete the appropriate request form available through the Patient Health Portal. Please submit requests for exemption as soon as possible so that appropriate review and notification can occur in a timely manner.

Through Oct. 15, those who have not submitted proof of full COVID-19 vaccination will be required to participate in Temple’s testing program. After Oct. 15, those who have been granted an exemption will still be considered unvaccinated by the university and must continue to comply with the COVID-19 surveillance testing program and other restrictions. 

Employees required to come to campus who remain unvaccinated, fail to submit vaccination information or receive an exemption after Oct. 15 cannot be on campus and will be subject to discipline for failure to comply with the city mandate and university policy. Employees will not be granted the ability to work in a fully remote manner due to failure to submit vaccination information or receive an exemption. 

If you need a vaccine, you can schedule an appointment with Health Services on Main Campus or search for a provider near you. Temple Health System is offering vaccine appointments Monday-Friday.  To request an exemption, download the request from  the Forms section of the Patient Health Portal.

The COVID-19 vaccines are the strongest defense against the virus. They are safe, effective and free, and they significantly decrease the chance that you will contract the disease and are effective at preventing hospitalization and death among those who experience breakthrough cases.

Masks

In addition to vaccines, face masks are required to be worn on Temple’s campuses indoors and in enclosed spaces and outdoors when a safe distance from others can’t be maintained. Unless you’re eating, drinking or alone in a private office, you’re required to wear your mask. Failure to wear a mask may result in discipline in accordance with university policy. 

Testing

Two testing sites will be operating on Main Campus and one at the Health Sciences Center. Please note that testing is done by appointment only and walk-ups will not be accepted. Information regarding testing at Ambler and Podiatry campuses is forthcoming.

Main Campus

• Mitten Hall, Great Court
  Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. 
• Paley Hall, Lower Level Room G2
  Monday, Tuesday and Friday, 6:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Health Sciences Center

• Student Faculty Center, Room 108
  Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

Though the testing sites will be staffed, tests are self-administered. This means you will be given a test kit, which includes a test tube and nasal swab, and will follow step-by-step instructions to complete the test yourself. 

Test results will be available between 12 and 36 hours after your test. Negative test results will be texted or emailed. You can opt in to receive text messages from Health Services by visiting the Forms section of the Patient Health Portal. Those who receive a positive test result will get a call from a Health Services staff member, who will provide you with information about what you should do next.

While Philadelphia is faring much better than some cities in the U.S., the pandemic and the delta variant still pose a real threat to our ability to return to some sense of normalcy this fall. Coming together to #VaxUpTU is our best chance to restore order and be together. 

Sincerely, 

Sharon Boyle
AVP, Human Resources