DT: January 19, 2022
TO: USC Students
FR: Monique S. Allard, Ed.D.
Interim Vice President, Student Affairs
Sarah Van Orman, MD, MMM, FACHA, Chief Health Officer, USC Student Health
Division Chief for College Health, Keck School of Medicine of USC
RE: Updated COVID-19 Testing Requirements for Non-boosted Students
As announced in previous messages, boosters for the COVID-19 vaccines are now required for all eligible students, faculty and staff. Students who are eligible for a booster (eligibility is 5 months from completing Pfizer, Moderna, or EUL vaccines; 2 months after completing Johnson and Johnson) should take one by January 30, 2022. A one-month grace period is granted to receive the booster, once you are eligible. Additional information can be found on our vaccines/boosters webpage. The initial data indicate that vaccines continue to offer strong protection, especially when our community is fully vaccinated and boosted. Waning immunity, from the passage of time, can be restored through boosters.
Testing Cadence for Non-boosted Students: All non-boosted (and eligible) students who are enrolled in on-campus degree programs are required to test twice weekly (every 4 days). Students in online degree programs who do not access campus are not beholden to this policy. Students with a previously approved exemption are not beholden to this policy.
University Deadline: If you are currently eligible for a booster, you are required to receive one no later than January 30. You may alternatively submit an exemption form.
Trojan Check: This new requirement will be incorporated into Trojan Check and impact access to campus facilities.
Additional Impacts to Campus Systems: Additional access to university systems, including registration holds, may be implemented for students who are not in compliance with university requirements.
Getting a Booster and Uploading Documentation
Vaccinations are also available through USC Pharmacies. Please note: due to unprecedented current demand, there may be delays in recording booster vaccination into the MySHR system. To ensure that your record is up to date, please upload a photo, scan, or screenshot of your booster dose into MySHR. Digital vaccine records in California may be obtained throughhttps://myvaccinerecord.cdph.ca.gov.
Visit myturn.ca.gov to find a pharmacy or retailer near you for off-campus vaccination resources. If you have completed your booster outside of USC, please upload this documentation in MySHR (in the “Upload Documents” section).
Thank you for your attention to this health protocol, we are very appreciative of your cooperation and continued efforts to protect our community.