Flu vaccination rate grows by hundreds


By
 in , ,
Photo of exterior of the Keck School of Medicine. The building is tall and has a red and yellow sign that says the Keck School of Medicine of USC. The sky is blue and there are other buildings nearby.
Student Health will likely begin enforcing flu vaccines for Trojan Check around Dec. 15, so students and faculty who have not received their vaccine will not be able to enter campus for Spring 2022. (Simon Park | Daily Trojan file photo)

A day after the Nov. 1 deadline for students to receive their flu vaccinations, compliance with the requirement grew by the “hundreds,” Chief Health Officer Dr. Sarah Van Orman said in a student health media briefing Tuesday.  

Currently, 55% of undergraduate and graduate students and 70% of professors and staff uploaded their vaccinations. While the deadline has passed, there are no consequences for late submissions, and students can continue to complete Trojan Check without uploading their flu vaccination, Van Orman said.

The University also plans to send email reminders at the end of the week to unvaccinated students. 

“We’ll be starting to remind people that they’re out of compliance and making sure people get it before we start enforcing with Trojan Check and before flu season, that’s the most important [thing],” Van Orman said.

USC will likely enforce flu vaccines for Trojan Check by the end of the fall semester — around Dec. 15 — and students and faculty will be unable to return to campus for Spring 2022 without their vaccine. However, Student Health does not want students to miss finals as a result of flu shot compliance, Van Orman said.

According to Van Orman, the USC Care Crew will begin enforcing a vaccination mandate for guests entering campus on Nov. 8 and will require guests to show proof of vaccination or a negative coronavirus test within the last 72 hours — a policy consistent with the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.  

To address reports of students completing Trojan Check with guest status, USC Care Crew will route all individuals that show up with guest statuses to a vaccine and testing verification system that requires proof of vaccination and photo ID. Students will not be allowed to use guest status after Nov. 8 as identification cards will be checked to verify the individuals are actually guests.

While coronavirus cases on campus increased two weeks ago as a result of the fall break, cases have not spiked further. Student Health reported 37 cases among students last week, compared to the 39 cases two weeks ago.

“We’re not seeing a spike, which we’re really happy about. But we are continuing to see them slightly elevated from where they were at the low point in the semester,” Van Orman said. 

Although USC Student Health does not have specific numbers, many in the USC community have received booster shots from the USC pharmacy, Van Orman said. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that anyone who received a Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine more than two months ago should receive a booster shot. For people who received Moderna or Pfizer more than six months ago and are over age 65, booster shots are recommended. 

USC has not decided coronavirus policy changes related to Trojan Check, coronavirus testing or mask mandates for the spring semester, Van Orman said. The policies will likely be driven by Los Angeles County guidelines closer to the start of the spring semester.

“We’re prepared to continue to do it, it really just depends on what we’re seeing with cases. Students have done an amazing job with complying with testing, and I think we’ve been able to keep our cases very low because of it,” Van Orman said.

USC plans to continue testing in preparation for Thanksgiving break and as students travel home to their families without coronavirus. USC Student Health also looks to send pre-Thanksgiving messages to encourage students to get tested immediately after they return to campus. 

“That’s when people travel that testing is very important. And we saw a really good testing post midterm break,” Van Orman said.

Student Health looks to also warning students to be observant of the prevalence of coronavirus while traveling , particularly when going out to restaurants or bars. 

“What we advise people is to really be aware of what the prevalence is where you’re going, because not all numbers are falling in a lot of the country right now,” Van Orman said. “So there are things you can do when you’re traveling, especially if you’re going into a higher prevalence part of the country.”