COVID-19 Updates and Reminders

Dear Middlebury Community,

We are writing with some updates and reminders about COVID-19 vaccination and testing opportunities. In this email, we’ll address the following:

• Tuesday’s Booster Clinic on Campus
• Location Change: Vaccine Clinic in Middlebury
• State of the State
• Testing on Campus
• Antigen Tests for Students and Employees

Tuesday’s Booster Clinic on Campus

Thank you to all who participated in the vaccine and booster clinic on campus Tuesday. Addison County Home Health & Hospice let us know they administered 61 doses during the two-hour clinic for employees and students. Students, remember to upload your booster documentation to your student health portal.  

Location Change: Vaccine Clinic in Middlebury

The state-sponsored COVID-19 vaccine clinic in Middlebury has moved from Middle Road to the Middlebury Regional EMS headquarters at 55 Collins Drive, next to Porter Hospital. Clinic hours are Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. No appointment is necessary. Vaccinations for the primary series and first or second boosters of Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson are available. 

Following is the guidance on who is eligible for a second booster:

• Individuals aged 50 or older can receive a second booster of Pfizer or Moderna.
• For people who are immunocompromised, those age 12 and older can receive a second booster of Pfizer, and those 18 and older can receive a second booster of Pfizer or Moderna. 
• People who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine and Johnson & Johnson booster can receive a second booster of Pfizer or Moderna.
• Getting a second booster dose is not necessary to be considered up-to-date on vaccinations at this time. 

You can learn more from the Vermont Department of Health. If you have questions, please talk to your healthcare provider. Students who receive their booster should upload documentation of this to their student health portal.  

State of the State 

The state continues to experience an increase in COVID-19 cases, but officials remain focused on hospitalizations, which are far fewer than they were in previous periods of the pandemic. At the state’s weekly press briefing on Tuesday, Vermont Health Commissioner Dr. Mark Levine noted that Vermont is among a handful of states that still offer extensive free testing, which could contribute to the perception of an uptick larger than other states. He noted that with the highly contagious BA.2 variant, individuals should assess their own personal risk and consider which measures to take for prevention. Wearing a mask, for example, can add another level of protection even when others are not masked. 

Information about how to make an appointment for a test and when to take the various types of tests is available on the state’s COVID-19 testing website and Middlebury’s COVID-19 Testing and Reporting Instructions. 

Testing on Campus

PCR testing for COVID-19 continues to be available at the testing window at Centeno House, 136 South Main Street, accessible via the patio facing the Service Building. PCR testing is available for students and employees on campus Mondays and Wednesdays, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Thursdays, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. No appointment is needed. More information is available on the COVID-19 Testing page. 

Note that employees who are symptomatic may use a home antigen test kit and/or arrange testing through their healthcare provider, the Vermont Department of Health, or a local pharmacy. See also COVID-19 Testing and Reporting Instructions.

Antigen Tests for Students and Employees

We continue the distribution of antigen tests for students and employees on campus as follows:

• For Students: Antigen tests are available in the dining halls at check-in and at the Davis Family Library circulation desk. 
• For Employees: Antigen test kits and N-95 and KN-95 masks are available for all employees at the Human Resources Office at Marble Works, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and at the Davis Family Library circulation desk. 

As always, thank you for your attention to these updates. Should you have questions, please write to COVIDInfo@middlebury.edu.

Sincerely,

Mark Peluso

Chief Health Officer and College Physician

Smita Ruzicka

Vice President for Student Affairs