Chancellor Li: The Importance of Vaccinations

Dear Mavericks,

Last week we shared a number of important COVID-19-related campus updates that are the result of improving numbers on our campus and in the community. These numbers, which you can find on the Douglas County Health Department’s website and UNO COVID-19 Dashboard, show the important role vaccinations play in ending the pandemic.

Our entire UNO community is looking forward to the Fall 2021 semester and a chance to return to more traditional campus operations. That is why I would like to strongly encourage all students, faculty and staff to receive their COVID-19 vaccinations if they have not done so already and it is safe for them to do so.

The Douglas County Health Department has ongoing vaccination clinics where all can get free vaccinations. Additionally, we are planning on having mobile vaccination clinics on campus in August. More information will be provided about location and times for the mobile vaccination clinics later this summer.

Please know that this is not a mandate to be vaccinated, but rather a reminder that because COVID-19 vaccines are highly effective and safe, they are the best opportunity to protect our Maverick community. We are also not planning to require COVID-19 vaccinations for our campus or to require disclosure of whether you have received the vaccine. It is important that we maintain the lessons that this pandemic has taught us about being supportive, understanding, and respectful of others.

We will continue to follow guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, including the guidance that masks do not need to be worn for fully-vaccinated individuals, physical distancing is not needed for fully-vaccinated individuals, those who are fully vaccinated and remain symptom free do not need to quarantine following close-contact exposure to COVID-19, and fully-vaccinated individuals to not need to be tested for COVID-19.

A comprehensive list of existing campus guidance can be found on our Maverick COVID Response website.

If you have any COVID-19-related questions, please do not hesitate to contact the Office of Health Security (unohealthsecurity@unomaha.edu).

Thank you for helping us create an engaging and safe Maverick experience.

Sincerely,

Joanne Li, Ph.D., CFA

UNO Chancellor