Dear UCSF Community,
As we enter the final weeks of 2020, encouraging news on the COVID-19 vaccine front is helping to bring this difficult year to a close with a renewed sense of hope.
Yesterday, a vaccine advisory panel commissioned by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommended that the FDA grant Emergency Use Authorization to Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine. The FDA’s approval is expected any day, and preparations are already under way at UCSF.
Approval of the Pfizer vaccine will mark an important turning point, but it will take months before this and other vaccines become widely available. Even as the vaccine distribution expands, we must recognize the serious threat the coronavirus continues to pose to public health—especially at a time when community transmission, including in the Bay Area, is at an all-time high.
All of us, including those who have been vaccinated, must continue to adhere to public health orders, wearing masks, physically distancing, washing hands, and avoiding unnecessary travel and gatherings. Despite the fatigue we all feel, we must stay vigilant in taking all appropriate steps to slow the pandemic and avoid mistaking a vaccine for a cure.
Following FDA approval, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) is expected to authorize use of the Pfizer vaccine in California. With the CDPH’s authorization, and aligned with public health guidance, UCSF will offer vaccinations to those on the front lines of the pandemic as early as next week.
As vaccine manufacturing capacity ramps up, a phased plan for distributing the vaccine is required. Initially, UCSF will offer the vaccine to those who have the highest risk of exposure to...
Dear UCSF and BCH Oakland colleagues,
Earlier this month, we were able to relaunch the COVID-19 Relief Program for employees and learners who face economic hardships created by the pandemic.
We have received a very good response to the program, and we encourage all those who intend on applying to do so by the closing date of Friday, Dec. 11, at 11:59 p.m. If you have problems completing your application, please email [email protected].
The generosity of many donors enabled us to relaunch the financial relief program and expand the eligibility criteria to employees and learners who earn $95,000 or less. However, as we saw in the first round of relief funding, the number of applications for the tax-free grants of up to $1,000 will outpace the available resources, so I encourage you to apply if you need assistance.
We will keep you updated if additional resources become available for a third round of COVID-19 relief support. For those who are in a position to donate to the UCSF Qualified Disaster Relief Fund, we appreciate your generosity and support of our UCSF colleagues and community during these challenging times.
Sincerely,
Paul Jenny
Senior Vice Chancellor
Finance and Administration
Dear UCSF Community,
Throughout this year, we have been working on solutions to help support UCSF learners and employees who face financial hardships due to the pandemic. I am pleased to share with you that we will be providing a second round of COVID-19 relief funds, with a focus on those who earn $95,000 or less per year.
The additional funding we have secured enables us to provide up to $1,000 in tax-free funds to assist those in our UCSF community with the greatest need. The application process for this second round of funds will open on Monday, December 7.
This second round of relief funding is an extension of the UCSF COVID-19 Relief Program that we created in September to help members of our UCSF community who need help with expenses such as child care and housing payments. I am grateful for the generosity of our donors who helped us establish the UCSF COVID-19 Relief Program, and we continue to raise funds.
During this season of sharing, I encourage all those who are able to give to the UCSF COVID-19 Qualified Disaster Relief Fund to donate here. You can find details about eligibility for the new round of COVID-19 Relief Program funding on the coronavirus website. For questions about the program, please email [email protected]. We will continue to look for ways to help as many members of our UCSF community, as the pandemic evolves.
I am heartened by the...