January 12, 2021
Dear Colleagues:
We are pleased to share that SUNY Potsdam will soon be hosting a New York State vaccination site to serve our North Country region. As we support our community in the fight against COVID-19, the College has offered our facilities to house an appointment-based free vaccination site in the Maxcy Hall Fieldhouse, which is set to open to eligible community members with appointments next week. More details about the clinic will be forthcoming.
Please note that as our state and local partners prepare the clinic, we will have members of the New York National Guard on campus beginning tomorrow, Wednesday, January 13. They will primarily be in and around the Maxcy Hall Athletic Complex, assisting with set-up of the clinic.
New York State has provided updated guidance on the initial phases of vaccine distribution. In Phases 1a and 1b, you will notice that in-person college instructors are now eligible to be immunized. As of today, all individuals age 65 and older are also eligible, in addition to a number of other groups.
You can complete the screening form here to find out if you are eligible to receive a vaccine at this time. Please note that the site does not yet support scheduling appointments in our area. As soon as we have more information about this process, we will share it with the campus community.
Individuals who are 65 and older will be eligible to receive their vaccinations through Kinney Drugs. The Kinney Drugs website indicates that all vaccine appointments are currently booked, however, you can keep checking their site for details and updates.
While our first groups of eligible faculty and staff have already been vaccinated or have been notified of their options to schedule an appointment, we know that many of you who are newly eligible or waiting to become eligible are anxious for more information. As soon as we have more details on eligibility, appointment reservations and our campus vaccination site, we will share them with you. Please note at this time under SUNY policies and guidance, the COVID-19 vaccine is voluntary and you do not need to notify Human Resources of your immunization.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the COVID-19 vaccines that have been authorized for emergency use have been shown to be both safe and effective through the initial clinical trials. Vaccination will help prevent you from being infected, and therefore vaccines are one of the most important tools for fighting the pandemic. Please remember though that two doses are required, and immunity will not set in until approximately two weeks after the final dose.
As the CDC reminds us, even as more members of our campus community are vaccinated, the other public health measures and campus policies will continue to be critical to stopping the spread of the virus—including ongoing mandated surveillance testing, daily symptoms screenings, physical (social) distancing, and wearing face coverings in all public spaces. All employees, regardless of your vaccination status, will be required to continue to comply with these same expectations to ensure a safe and successful semester.
Thank you all for your patience and assistance, as we take these important steps forward in slowing the momentum of this pandemic.
Sincerely,
Kristin G. Esterberg, Ph.D.
President
Melissa Proulx
Director of Human Resources