Coronavirus updates for UCOP
UCOP COVID-19 Vaccine Policy Implementation and Tracking
UCOP requires employees, contractors, vendors and visitors to comply with the systemwide UC COVID-19 Vaccination policy, including the booster mandate.
Update 05/25/23: UC updating COVID-19 vaccination policy to systemwide opt-out program
This has been updated from the announcement originally published on Tuesday, May 16, 2023, with clarifying information about the proposed policy change.
Since the University’s COVID-19 vaccine policy was first issued in December 2020, UC has continued to review and adjust UC’s COVID-19 vaccination requirements as public health conditions have evolved. With the changes to federal and state public health guidance and the end of the federal Public Health Emergency on May 11, 2023, UC is moving to a systemwide COVID-19 vaccination opt-out program for UC students and employees.
Under the revised policy that will be circulated for review, the University will require students and employees to either receive or affirmatively decline COVID-19 vaccination. It is expected that the revised policy will require covered individuals to be vaccinated consistent with applicable public health recommendations or opt out. Neither the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) nor the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has yet made a recommendation on the frequency of vaccination.
In the event applicable law or public health orders impose stricter vaccination requirements, such as for health care workers, the policy will continue to require compliance with those stricter requirements.
The Policy on Vaccination Programs – With Updated Interim Amendments will be revised to reflect the new opt-out program and circulated through the policy review process.
The decision to update UC’s policy reflects the welcome fact that UC has entered a very different phase in our response, with more than 88 million COVID-19 vaccines having been administered in California. The CDC continues to recommend that everyone 6 months of age and older be up to date with COVID vaccines.
If you have questions or concerns about the proposed policy change, please direct them to: vaccinepolicycomments@ucop.edu.
The information on this page will be updated as soon as the updates to the policy are finalized.
The Systemwide Policy on Vaccination Programs - With Updated Interim Amendments, requires all UC employees to be fully vaccinated prior to entering a UC facility.
- Up-To-Date: A person is Up-To-Date with required Vaccines when they have received all doses in a Primary Series and the most recent booster recommended by the CDC or by CDPH. A person need not obtain boosters that are authorized but not explicitly recommended by CDC or CDPH in order to be considered Up-To-Date.
- Opt-Out Program: A Vaccination Program that requires Covered Individuals to be Up-To-Date on Vaccines or to formally decline vaccination by completing an opt-out form provided by their Location (a “Vaccine Declination Statement”) and submitting it to their Location Vaccine Authority on or before the Compliance Date.
COVID-19 Vaccine Tracker – Employees
To provide your booster information and upload your proof, do the following:
Prepare
Make sure you have the dates you received your booster(s) and your Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) vaccination card handy (or foreign equivalent for those that received their vaccinations abroad – See the COVID-19 vaccination policy FAQs for more information).
Enter vaccine information and upload proof
Use Chrome or Firefox browsers to go to the UCOP COVID-19 Vaccine Tracker and enter your vaccine information and upload documentation of proof as follows:
- I’m a new employee
- You have 14 days from your date of hire to submit proof of vaccination, including boosters or request an exception or deferral.
- You will need to submit an entry for your original vaccination series and an entry for each booster.
- Note: Your Duo single sign-on authentication must be established to access the tracker.
- To request an exception or pregnancy deferral, select I am requesting an exception or deferral and follow the instructions to complete the tracker.
- I’m an employee and need to provide my booster information
- Select the I am reporting a booster button and follow the instructions to complete the tracker and upload proof.
UCOP has partnered with Sedgwick Claims Management to collect vaccination status and process exception or deferral requests through an online tool. UC has worked with Sedgwick for more than 30 years and Sedgwick will provide this service in collaboration with the Office of the President Risk Services and with UCOP Human Resources. Information provided through this tool will be kept confidential and only accessed for program-related purposes.