ETSU releases COVID-19 vaccine information

ETSU’s Medical Response Team released an update Tuesday regarding COVID-19 vaccine information, including current state distribution, the possibility of the university’s future involvement in vaccine distribution and current eligibility for ETSU students, faculty and staff.

ETSU is following the Tennessee Department of Health’s COVID-19 vaccine distribution plan, which consists of seven phases – 1a1, 1a2, 1b, 1c, 2a, 2b and 3 – and simultaneous age-based criteria.

According to the update, ETSU Health has submitted an application to the state to become a vaccine provider, but they have not yet received approval.

“We will certainly update the community if and when that happen; in the meantime, we encourage everyone to continue to wear masks, avoid crowds, wash hands, and practice social distancing as you await your opportunity to be vaccinated,” the update said.

As of right now, the university does not have a requirement for faculty, staff and students to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

Aside from specific groups, general college and university faculty, staff and students in Tennessee are not identified as a priority group, and they will be eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine based on their age group unless they meet the criteria of the other seven phases. Currently, only Tennesseans 75 years old or older can register to get the vaccine based on the age-based criteria.

Phase 1a1 includes health care workers, home health care staff, COVID-19 mass testing site staff, student health providers in K-12 schools, colleges and universities, first responders with direct public exposure, staff and residents of long-term care facilities and individuals 18 years or older who cannot live independently due to a serious chronic medical condition or intellectual or developmental disability.

Phase 1a2 includes outpatient health care such as primary care staff and providers, outpatient specialty providers and staff, pharmacists and staff, patient transport, outpatient therapists, urgent visit center providers and staff, environmental services, oral health providers, behavioral health providers, outpatient laboratory staff working with COVID-19 specimens and funeral and mortuary workers with direct decedent contact.

Phase 1b includes K-12 and childcare teachers and staff, as well as other first responders.

Phase 1c includes people 16 years old or older with high-risk health conditions such as current cancer treatment, chronic renal disease , chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, pulmonary fibrosis, cystic fibrosis, moderate-severe asthma, obesity (body mass index greater than 30), heart failure, coronary artery disease, cardiomyopathies, hypertension, sickle cell or thalassemia, diabetes, cerebrovascular disease, stroke, immunocompromised (HIV, taking chronic steroids or immunomodulators, history of solid organ or blood or bone marrow transplant), dementia or liver disease.

Phase 2a includes critical infrastructure such as social services workers, child welfare agency personnel with direct public exposure, commercial food manufacturing workers, commercial agriculture workers involved in production of food supplies and commodities, people working in the corrections system with direct exposure to the inmate population, public transit drivers and maintenance personnel.

Phase 2b includes transportation, mechanical and engineering personnel for freight railroad, maritime cargo and commercial or cargo service airports. It also includes transportation, mechanical and engineering personnel for courier and parcel delivery service, telecommunications industry technicians and engineers involved in installation, operations and maintenance functions and mechanical and engineering personnel for utilities and energy sector operations.

Phase 3 includes other people in high-risk settings such as residents and staff of congregate living facilities including dormitories and other group college and university campus housing, group homes and shelters, grocery store workers and inmates of corrections facilities.

The update said students doing clinical rotations or working in K-12 education settings should follow guidance from their respective schools or colleges.

Some counties may be in different vaccination phases than other counties in the state due to differing paces in distribution.

Information about vaccine distribution may differ for ETSU students, faculty and staff who do not reside in Tennessee because of differences in vaccination phases and distribution priorities in each state. Those individuals should seek distribution information from their state’s Department of Health.

For Tennessee residents who want to find out their vaccination eligibility and sign up for notifications, visit https://covid19.tn.gov/covid-19-vaccines/eligibility/. For more information about ETSU’s response regarding the COVID-19 vaccine, visit https://www.etsu.edu/coronavirus/health-and-safety/vaccine.php.