University News

August 12, 2021 | Stephanie Reitz - UConn Communications

UConn Reports 94% of Incoming Storrs Residential Students Fully or Partially Vaccinated

Student vaccination rate far exceeds the state and national figures

On left, UConn Health Registered Nurse, Savannah Jaspering administers the COVID-19 vaccine while at the Hawley Armory in Storrs last spring

UConn Health Registered Nurse Savannah Jaspering administers the COVID-19 vaccine while at the Hawley Armory in Storrs last spring (UConn Photo).

New figures show 94% of students who plan to live in Storrs on-campus housing for fall semester are partially or fully vaccinated for COVID-19 in compliance with the University’s reporting requirements.

Those statistics and others were added this week to the University’s COVID Dashboard, which posts updated vaccine information every Wednesday for Storrs and the regional campuses.

UConn’s vaccination rate for on-campus Storrs students is 94%, which far exceeds the national figures of 59% (at least one dose) and 50% (fully vaccinated); and Connecticut’s rates of 64% (at least one dose) and 71% (fully vaccinated).

“This is another indication of UConn students’ care not only for themselves, but also for the health of their peers and their campus communities as a whole,” says Eleanor JB Daugherty, UConn’s dean of students and associate vice president for student affairs.

In addition to the 94% who are partially or fully vaccinated, about 3% have requested and received exemptions under the policy’s provisions, making 97% compliant with its terms. The remainder have not yet uploaded their information to the Student Health and Wellness portal.

For students who will be living in UConn Stamford student housing, 88% are partially or fully vaccinated so far. At the other regional campuses (none of which have student housing), the vaccination rates for students who will have at least one on-campus course range from 79 to 90%.

UConn will also be providing vaccines to any of its students upon arrival who wish to receive it and hadn’t yet had the opportunity or access.

First-year students will start moving into Storrs residence halls on Friday, Aug. 27. Returning Storrs students, transfer students, and all Stamford residential students will move in on Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 28 and 29.

Students who have been granted an exemption to the University’s student vaccination policy must be tested three to five days before their arrival on campus. Unvaccinated residential students will be tested again upon arrival.

Residential and non-residential unvaccinated students must participate in a modified quarantine for their first five to seven days on campus before being tested again. All Storrs-based unvaccinated students and Stamford residential unvaccinated students must participate in weekly surveillance testing afterward.

Unvaccinated students are strongly encouraged to wear a mask outdoors and must wear masks indoors, the latter of which is a requirement for all people in campus regardless of vaccination status.

Students who are fully online are not included in the updated dashboard vaccination figures because they are neither required to be vaccinated nor to get an exemption.