ALTOONA, Pa. — As of Tuesday, Sept. 7, Penn State Altoona released vaccination rates for students and employees at the campus.
At Penn State Altoona, 85% of full-time employees indicated they are fully vaccinated, including 100% of administrators, 90% of academic personnel (instructors, researchers and faculty) and 78% of nonunion staff.
Among students, 70% of students living on campus uploaded their proof of vaccination, and 51% of students living off campus uploaded their proof of vaccination. The combined rate for all students at Penn State Altoona is approximately 57%. With more students continuing to upload their proof of vaccination each day, the actual vaccination rates on campus may be higher.
“We are grateful to see that such a large percentage of our faculty and staff are vaccinated, and we are seeing more and more students upload their proof of vaccination each day,” said Lori J. Bechtel-Wherry, Penn State Altoona chancellor and dean. “We will continue to support all of our students in the vaccination process. This is a critical need for our campus and our entire Penn State Altoona community.”
Penn State Altoona has and continues to take steps to support the health and safety of the campus population, including providing transportation to local vaccination clinics and promoting vaccinations on digital signage and on social media.
Vaccination data for all Penn State campuses will be available on the COVID-19 dashboard later this month. Penn State’s 21 Commonwealth Campuses across Pennsylvania vary in size and demographics, with some campuses offering residential experiences while others providing for commuter students.
Penn State previously announced that unvaccinated students and employees will be required to submit to weekly testing for COVID-19 throughout the fall semester. Penn State Altoona students can upload their vaccination records through myUHS. Campus employees can upload their vaccination records through Salesforce Health Cloud.
Voluntary and symptomatic testing is available for students at Penn State Altoona. Students can schedule a test at the college’s Health and Wellness center by calling 814-949-5540. Tests also can be ordered through the mail via the Vault Health mail-in test kit.
Penn State Altoona students who are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms should seek symptomatic testing via the Health and Wellness Center or a local provider. Employees who are experiencing symptoms are advised to schedule an appointment with their health care provider.
The University strongly encourages all individuals to receive a COVID-19 vaccination as soon as they are able, if they have not done so already. Throughout the fall semester, vaccines will be made available on or near all Penn State campuses. The CDC’s vaccines.gov website provides a list of nearby providers, including hospitals, doctor’s offices, pharmacies, department stores and grocery stores.
For the latest information about Penn State’s response to COVID-19, visit virusinfo.psu.edu.