Dear UCSF Community,

We have reached a new milestone in our COVID-19 vaccination efforts, having provided more than 50,000 doses of vaccine to our employees, city health care workers, and patients. This is a phenomenal effort and I am proud of the many teams across UCSF that continue to drive this critical public health goal.

As a result of additional Pfizer vaccine supply made available this week, we have been able to move more quickly than I described in my February 1 message.

As of Monday, February 8, we will begin vaccinating all employees and learners whose work has required them to be on site at least once per week for the past three months. You will be required to attest to your eligibility when you schedule your appointment.

While this is good news, it is important to understand how limited vaccine supplies remain. As demand continues to outpace supply, we and other health care providers face the real possibility of running out of vaccines each week. I am grateful that our vaccine leadership team is working continuously to avoid this possibility. In addition, we are continuing to expand our capacity to provide vaccinations, so that we are prepared to vaccinate greater numbers of people as the vaccine supply and distribution increase.

Given the vaccine shortage, the University of California Office of the President has asked us to prioritize patients to employees at a 2:1 ratio for our remaining rollout. We will be able to vaccinate about 200 employees and learners per day for first doses in the coming weeks. UCSF ID badge swipe data indicate that approximately 5,000 employees come to campus at least once a week and have not yet been invited to receive a vaccine. With our current supply, it will take some time to vaccinate everyone.

Requirements for Scheduling Your Vaccination

First, confirm your eligibility. You must be:

• Age 65 years or over, or in a previous vaccination tier, OR
• Have work responsibilities that have required you to work on site at UCSF or an affiliated location at least once per week for the past three months.

To schedule your appointment:

• If you have a MyChart account:
  • Log in to MyChart and click on “Can I schedule my COVID vaccine?” Any available appointments will appear on the following screen. Select one.
  • Next, you must confirm your eligibility.
  • Click “schedule.”
• If you do not have a MyChart account, please sign up here. Then follow the steps above. For help with MyChart, please call the MyChart Help Desk at 415-514-6000.

Due to our limited vaccine supply, you may not see any available appointments. If no appointments are listed, please check back daily to see new options as we receive more vaccine. In addition, some second doses may be slightly delayed. We will ensure that all second doses are offered within the 6-week window designated by the CDC.

We remain committed to offering the vaccine to all members of our community as vaccine supply allows. We will continue to provide you with updates as we progress. The vaccine dashboard and UCSF COVID-19 Vaccine Information Hub remain the best sources for the latest information about the vaccine rollout and phases.

Thank you for supporting and contributing to our collective effort to serve not only our UCSF community, but also the broader communities that depend on us.

Sincerely,

Josh Adler, MD
Chief Clinical Officer, UCSF Health
Vice Dean, Clinical Affairs, UCSF School of Medicine