New case reports have continued to come down, but it is clear that COVID-19 can still spread rapidly and disrupt many aspects of campus life. Our approach to minimizing those disruptions and the risk of severe illness has relied on having a very high vaccination rate among students and faculty. Newly approved bivalent vaccines are recommended by the CDC for eligible individuals ages 5+, and we strongly encourage everyone in the Kenyon community to get a booster as soon as they are eligible. Generally, this means that at least two months have passed since an individual’s last shot, and that, if they have had COVID-19, they are fully recovered.
Students are required to remain up-to-date with their COVID-19 vaccination, which includes receiving the latest available booster recommended by the CDC. The bivalent vaccine is available from Knox Community Hospital, Knox Public Health, and several local pharmacies, including Walmart, Kroger, Conway’s and CVS. Kenyon is working with our partners at Knox Public Health to ensure that all students will have access to the vaccine, including an on-campus vaccination clinic, likely in early November. More details will follow.
In the meantime, we strongly encourage everyone in the Kenyon community to keep making responsible choices to keep themselves and one another safe.
Sincerely,
Drew Kerkhoff
Chair, COVID-19 Steering Committee
Professor of Biology and Associate Provost