MACON/ATLANTA/SAVANNAH/COLUMBUS – Mercer University has joined the College Vaccine Campus Challenge at the invitation of the White House and the U.S. Department of Education in order to assist with the nationwide effort to get as many Americans as possible vaccinated to bring an end to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Institutions participating in the College Vaccine Campus Challenge commit to taking three actions: engaging every student, faculty and staff member with information on vaccine eligibility and resources; organizing the campus community by identifying champions for vaccine efforts and implementing a plan to get as many members of the community vaccinated as possible; and delivering vaccine access for all.
Mercer Medicine, the medical school’s multi-specialty physician group, is authorized to distribute vaccines on both the Atlanta and Macon campuses and began doing so in late March.
Summer vaccine clinic appointments on the Atlanta and Macon campuses are now available. Additional vaccination locations and current vaccine availability by ZIP code can be found at vaccines.gov.
Mercer currently has no plans to require students and employees to be vaccinated for COVID-19 but continues to monitor developments with the federal vaccine approval process.
The University is strongly encouraging all eligible students and employees to be vaccinated. Based on CDC guidelines, Mercer recently ended its mask requirement for fully vaccinated students, faculty and staff, except at the Student Health Centers and in certain clinical settings. Additionally, fully vaccinated faculty, staff and students are exempt from COVID-19 surveillance testing. Unvaccinated students, employees and guests are expected to take personal responsibility and wear masks while on campus.
Vaccinated students and those enrolled in working adult programs returning to campus in the fall will be required to complete a COVID-19 screening questionnaire, while unvaccinated students will be required to show proof of a negative COVID-19 test before moving into student housing or attending orientations, classes and other on-campus activities.
More information on the University’s COVID-19 policies, procedures and resources can be found online at www.mercer.edu/coronavirus.
