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Vaccine Information

Know the facts when it's your turn.

Everyone 16-years-old and older who lives, works, or attends college in Connecticut is now eligible to schedule a vaccine appointment.

The State has indicated its commitment to providing Johnson & Johnson vaccines to Connecticut's higher education institutions in early May, if not sooner. We will work with our healthcare partners to schedule opportunities for on campus vaccination as soon as possible.

Students, faculty, and staff and who prefer to register for an off-campus appointment may do so  through local public health departments, pharmacies, and other providers that may have available supply. Local health and vaccine providers have been advised that a student ID is sufficient to demonstrate in-state eligibility to receive a vaccine. 

 

Off-Campus Scheduling Information

Why Vaccinate?

vaccine image

Education is Key.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the COVID-19 vaccination will help protect you from getting COVID-19 and will help build immunity to help stop the pandemic—and you'll be able to get back to doing the things you love sooner and safer!

Many Americans will have the opportunity to be fully vaccinated this spring and early summer. Still, there are some people who are hesitant or mistrustful about getting the vaccine when it’s their turn, especially in the African American and Latinx communities, who are also being disproportionately affected by the virus.

The best thing you can do is know the facts when it’s your turn to get the vaccine, so you can make the most informed decision for you and your family.

Read a few common myths and facts and learn more about the importance of getting vaccinated on the CDC website. 

Get the Facts
Myth or Fact: Myth

The COVID-19 vaccine will make me sick with COVID-19—None of the authorized and recommended vaccines contain the live virus that causes COVID-19. This means that a COVID-19 vaccine cannot make you sick with COVID-19.

Myth or Fact: Myth

The COVID-19 vaccination will alter my DNA—False! COVID-19 vaccines do not change or interact with your DNA in any way.

Myth or Fact: Fact

You should still get vaccinated if you've already had COVID-19—True! You should be vaccinated regardless of whether you already had COVID-19. That’s because experts do not yet know how long you are protected from getting sick again after recovering from COVID-19.

Hear from Experts: Town Hall on April 1

Attend UHart’s April 1 Town Hall, Educate and Encourage–Overcoming COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy, and hear the facts from experts who will dispel myths and misconceptions about the vaccine.

About the Town Hall
  • Date: April 1
  • Time: 1–2:30 p.m.

The aim of this Town Hall is to educate, stop myths and misconceptions about the vaccine, and to encourage students, especially African American and Latino, to make the best decisions for themselves, their families, and their community. It is our hope that this information will help to take away the stigma.

Learn more about the event and see the list of panelists. 

Register for Town Hall Event

Educate and Encourage

Hear first-hand from UHart nursing students on why they choose to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

Nevaeh McKinney

It was an extreme privilege to be in the first round of vaccinations. But there was a reason for me to be among the first group to receive the vaccine, and that was caring for patients. This spring I have been assigned to a nursing home for my first nursing clinical rotation. There is a lot of stigma behind this vaccine, but that honestly did not matter to me. I could not care for my clinical patients with the utmost focus, respect, and protection if I’m worrying about getting them sick. I believe that we all need to remember where we were a year ago—those were some of the hardest days of our lives. Many were prevented from seeing their loved ones and that is something I never want people to have to go through again. This year I knew what it felt like to lose someone in my family to COVID-19. I know there are hundreds of thousands of other people who have had to go through the same thing. That is why it was that much more important to me to get the vaccine and encourage others to do the same when it’s their turn.

Gema Grandados '23

The reason why I chose to get vaccinated was because I wanted to protect those who are most at risk of contracting the virus. As a future healthcare professional, I am entering a field where I must think of others. My actions and decisions will one day affect those I take care of and I took my first step in this lifelong journey by vaccinating myself! I encourage everyone to educate themselves about the vaccine and to make sure they are getting their information from trusted sources like Hartford Healthcare.

Josh Jaggon

The reason I decided to get the COVID-19 vaccine was because I was tired of all the stress that came with dealing with COVID. With so many important things going on in our lives with classes and work, knowing that I am protected from COVID-19 helps take a weight off my shoulders. It's such a relief to not have to worry about what I would do if I ended up getting sick. College is already stressful enough as it is but missing classes and having work pile up while you are forced to recover from COVID-19 is a nightmare I'm glad I never have to experience. I also decided to get vaccinated because I wanted to protect my family. As a nursing student, I travel back and forth from hospitals where there is a much higher risk of encountering people who are sick but being vaccinated gives me an extra layer of protection against COVID-19. This also protects my family. Overall, I'm glad I decided to get vaccinated and hope that everyone will do the same, so we can finally have life go back to normal.

COVID-19 Vaccine FAQs

All students attending college in Connecticut, even if their permanent address is out of state, are eligible for the vaccination beginning April 1.

The state has indicated its commitment to providing Johnson & Johnson vaccines to Connecticut's higher education institutions in early May, if not sooner.

We expect it will be the Johnson & Johnson vaccine that will be administered on campus.

At this time, the University is not requiring anyone to get the vaccine, but we are strongly encouraging it. If our University community attains a high level of natural or acquired COVID-19 immunity before July 1, 2021, we believe our campus will be able to roll back some of the comprehensive health measures put in pace to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. 

If the number of COVID-19 cases are low and controlled, and if our University community attains an 85% level of natural or acquired COVID-19 immunity before July 1, 2021, we anticipate we may be able to change the following policies for Fall 2021: 

  • Classrooms with reduced physical distancing
  • Offer most classes in person combined with a large section of online classes available for those seeking that format 
  • Visitors and guest to be allowed on campus and in the residence halls 
  • Dining halls to operate at full capacity 

All vaccinators will be trained health professionals eligible to administer vaccines in Connecticut. We are working with Hartford Healthcare and the local public health authorities to create vaccination clinics that would be staffed by trained medical professionals. 

All three vaccines on the market went through extensive clinical trails to generate this safety data prior to their approval. The FDA carefully reviews all safety data from the clinical trials of the available vaccines and only authorizes emergency vaccine use when the expected benefits outweigh potential risks.

Additional Resources