Health and Wellbeing Update on Preparing for Cold and Flu Season

The following message was sent to the Drexel community: 

Dear Members of the Drexel community,

We are a few weeks into the start of the new academic year, and it’s great to see everyone on campus. With the return to campus, the arrival of fall, and increased gatherings indoors on and off campus, we would like to offer reminders on how you can prepare for the cold and flu season. While there is no change in Drexel’s COVID-19 protocols, this message contains important information about health and well-being at the University.

COVID-19 Vaccination

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends all patients five years and older get one dose of the updated Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine to protect against serious illness from COVID-19. The updated dose should be administered at least two months after receiving the last dose of any COVID-19 vaccine. People who are immunocompromised may get additional doses of updated COVID-19 vaccine but should talk to their primary health care provider for additional information.

To date, the 2023–2024 updated Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines were recommended by CDC for use in the United States. The updated COVID-19 vaccines more closely target the XBB lineage of the Omicron variant and could restore protection against severe COVID-19 that may have decreased over time. The CDC anticipates the updated vaccines will be better at fighting currently circulating variants. Novavax’s updated COVID-19 vaccine was recently approved after review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for emergency use authorization (EUA) in individuals aged 12 and older. Updated vaccination information is available on the CDC website.

As a reminder, employees enrolled in Drexel medical plans have access to preventative vaccines — and they are covered at 100% when billed through your medical and/or pharmacy benefits with a $0 copay.

Drexel COVID-19 Guidance

In addition to keeping up with vaccinations, please continue to follow Drexel’s COVID-19 guidelines concerning what to do when you feel ill, have a positive test or are exposed to COVID-19.

Students who live in University Housing and become infected with COVID-19 will be able to observe their five-day isolation period in their place of residence and receive full information at the time of isolation. Roommates are asked to discuss their plans in advance, should this situation arise.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is once again making four free COVID-19 rapid tests available to each household. For more information on how to order free tests, please visit COVIDTests.org.

While the government no longer requires employers to do so, Drexel will continue to offer coverage for at-home COVID tests with no-cost sharing for members enrolled in a Drexel medical plan. More information is available on the Human Resources website.

Masking

Face masks are not required at the University but are required in health care spaces and may be required for students on health care rotations. Signage is posted on building entrances as appropriate. Masking is required for five full days following a five-day isolation period for anyone with COVID infection. If you do not feel well but test negative for COVID, please consider masking until you feel better.

Drexel recommends indoor masking when around others during increased periods of viral transmission. Anyone can choose to mask at any time to add an extra layer of protection against airborne viruses. While pandemic conditions have markedly improved, please be aware that COVID-19 has changed the lives of some people in our community who now must always mask for health reasons.

Influenza

Finally, please be mindful that the flu season is also upon us. Influenza (flu) and COVID-19 are both contagious respiratory illnesses, but they are caused by different viruses. Flu and COVID-19 share some of the same symptoms. Talk to a health care provider about getting tested for both flu and COVID-19 if you have symptoms. Please remember to get vaccinated for the flu as well.

The Office of Student Health Insurance and Immunization and Human Resources will be hosting a Flu Vaccine Clinic on Monday Oct. 23, from 10 a.m. to 5p.m. in Behrakis Grand Hall. This vaccine clinic is open to students, faculty and professional staff. You must bring your Drexel ID and insurance card to the event in order to participate. Pre-registration is strongly encouraged to ensure that we are able to accommodate your flu vaccine. Limited quantities of the COVID-19 vaccine will be available on-site while supplies last. Please use this link to register. 

In addition, the Student Health Center will hold two Flu Vaccine Clinics for students only on Tuesday, Oct. 17, from 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on Wednesday, Oct. 18, from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

As we look forward to enjoying the vibrancy of our campus in the months ahead, please remember that we share the responsibility of keeping ourselves protected and protecting others. 

Sincerely,

Subir Sahu
Senior Vice President, Student Success
Interim Senior Vice President, Enrollment Management

Megan Weyler
Senior Vice President, Chief Human Resources Officer
Human Resources and Organizational Effectiveness