Some Sac State faculty to receive COVID-19 vaccination invitations this week

Faculty and staff currently working on campus with students will be prioritized

Sara Nevis, Gerardo Zavala, Chris Wong, and Madelaine Church

Erick Salgado

Sacramento State will send invitations this week for face-to-face faculty and on-campus staff to be vaccinated for COVID-19 according to Sac State President Robert Nelsen in a SacSend email to faculty and staff Wednesday.

Faculty currently teaching face-to-face classes or doing active research required for students’ graduations will receive the initial invitations along with staff directly supporting students and employees in face-to-face situations, according to Nelsen.

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Nelsen said Sac State receives a limited supply of vaccination doses every week from the county, so employees who have less interaction on campus or telework will be considered for COVID-19 vaccinations later.

Educators, including Sac State employees, faculty, staff and administrators, are eligible to receive the vaccine after Sacramento County announced people employed in higher education qualify. 

“If you would like to decline or if you have already received your vaccine, then you can simply delete the invitation,” Nelsen said. He said vaccinations cannot be required at this time and that the current vaccines have been only cleared for Emergency Use Authorization.

Nelsen said students are not eligible to be vaccinated on campus at this time. 

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Faculty and staff can register with Vaccinate Sacramento to receive information about scheduling appointments in the county, according to Nelsen. 

“We at Sacramento State will be able to provide the vaccinations, as will multiple other sources such as CVS, Walgreens, Cal Expo, and local medical providers,” Nelsen said. 

Gerri Smith, chair of the communication studies department, sent an email Tuesday to COMS faculty regarding Nelsen’s announcement Tuesday. 

“It will be by invite only – and if you get the email with the invite, be sure to reply ASAP as it could fill up fast,” Smith said. “Since you work in Sac County, you can get vaccinated by Sac[ramento], even if your county has not opened it up to your group yet.”