WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind — When Purdue University surveyed students, faculty and staff last year, 80% responded that they would be willing and planned to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
On Aug. 26, the university announced it had hit the 80% number just one week into the fall semester:
- 80% of all students have submitted valid proof of full vaccination.
- 87% of students living in University Residences have submitted valid proof of full vaccination.
- 79% of students in Fraternity, Sorority, and Co-Operative Life (FSCL) have submitted valid proof of full vaccination.
- 90% of faculty members have submitted valid proof of full vaccination.
- 75% of staff members have submitted valid prof of full vaccination.
Those percentages translate to 43,995 students, faculty and staff vaccinated.
“Boilermakers do what they say they will do, especially when it comes to protecting Purdue, and we hope more take action. Now that the Pfizer vaccine has been approved by the FDA and the Moderna vaccine is expected to be very soon, we hope this motivates those who have not yet made up their minds,” said Eric Barker, dean of the College of Pharmacy and leader of the Protect Purdue Health Monitoring and Surveillance Team.
The vaccination rate at the university is so high that Purdue said if it were its own ZIP code for public health reporting data, the campus' fully vaccinated rate would rank among the top 3% of the state's 740 ZIP codes, based on figures from the Indiana Department of Health.
An on-campus vaccine clinic is open at the Co-Rec from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays-Fridays. No reservation is needed to receive the FDA-approved Pfizer vaccine.
Students who are not vaccinated are undergoing surveillance testing, which can be as frequent as weekly.
Individuals who are not fully vaccinated and who have a high-risk exposure must quarantine for 14 days and will not be allowed to attend classes or report to work, regardless of symptoms.
Purdue is requiring everyone on campus to wear a mask regardless of vaccination status. The rule went into effect on Aug. 2 and it applies to all indoor spaces on campus.
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