Dear Colleagues,

The State of North Carolina has now expanded eligibility for COVID-19 vaccination to Group 5, which includes anyone 16 and older who hasn’t received the vaccine, regardless of their health or occupation.

All Duke faculty, staff and students should already have received an email invitation to be vaccinated, and many have already scheduled an appointment or received the vaccine. We encourage anyone who has not yet done so to schedule an appointment at an Employee Vaccination Clinic or seek vaccination through other venues, including Duke Health.

If you have been vaccinated outside of the Duke Employee Vaccination Clinics, be sure to let EOHW know by submitting your documentation through the easy-to-use Duke VaxTrax web form.  If you need assistance, email EOHWCOVIDVac@duke.edu.

We are making great progress to protect ourselves, our loved ones and the community through vaccination. Thanks to your efforts, we have seen a sharp decline in cases among our faculty, staff and students in recent weeks. But many other areas are seeing another surge, and we must remain vigilant in following public health guidance to limit the spread of the virus during this critical time.

Masking, social distancing, symptom monitoring and surveillance testing protocols remain in place, regardless of a person’s vaccination status. We are still learning about how the vaccines prevent the transmission of the virus and variants, so it is important to keep up the comprehensive approach to preventing the spread of the virus even as people are getting vaccinated. Thank you for your ongoing support, teamwork and persistence in meeting the challenges of this year. Together, you are setting the example and making the difference our community needs.

Sincerely,

Kyle Cavanaugh,
Vice President, Administration

Carol Epling, MD, MSPH
Director, Employee Occupational Health and Wellness

Gail Shulby, RN, MA, CPPS
Chief of Staff to the Executive Vice President, Duke Health

Cameron R. Wolfe, MBBS (Hons), MPH, FIDSA
Associate Professor of Medicine, Infectious Diseases, Duke Health

Co-Leaders of the Duke COVID Vaccination Work Group