Dear Temple community,

In response to the Aug. 13 announcement from the city of Philadelphia mandating the COVID-19 vaccine for all college students, faculty, and staff members in the city, the Temple University community has committed to #VaxUpTU. I am proud to share that, to date, more than 93% of the on–campus community—39,284 students, faculty and staff members—have submitted proof of COVID-19 vaccines, and more submissions are still being counted.

To those of you who submitted your vaccine information in advance of the Oct. 15 deadline, thank you. Your collective efforts have kept case counts at the university low and have allowed us to enjoy a return to the in-person learning and activities that make Temple such a special place.

Update

For those who haven’t yet submitted vaccine information, there’s good news. Wednesday’s announcement by the Philadelphia Department of Public Health preserves the importance of the Oct. 15 deadline, but changes what it means to be compliant with that deadline. Now, in order to be compliant with the mandate, students, faculty and staff must have either received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine (rather than being fully vaccinated) or an approved medical or religious exemption by Oct. 15. If you are unvaccinated, I urge you to take advantage of the modified compliance definition and get your first dose by next Friday, Oct. 15. Since COVID-19 vaccines became readily available, Temple’s position has remained the same: We believe that everyone who can receive the vaccine should receive the vaccine.

You will need to continue to submit to regular testing until you are fully vaccinated. You must submit your vaccine information to the patient health portal by Oct. 15 for your first shot and by Nov. 15 for your second shot in a two-dose series (Pfizer or Moderna).

If you need a vaccine, you can search for a provider near you, and Temple University Health System is also offering vaccine appointments Monday through Friday. Visit the Forms section of the patient health portal to request a medical or religious exemption.

University staff, students and faculty who don’t have approved exemptions and who don’t have that first dose by Oct. 15, or if required, their second dose by Nov. 15 would be out of compliance and could not work or study in these settings.

Thank you for all you’re doing to keep both Temple and North Philadelphia safe and healthy.
Sincerely,

Mark Denys
Senior Director, Health Services