Virginia Tech launches vaccine dashboard ahead of fall semester deadline

BLACKSBURG, Va. – Virginia Tech recently launched its own vaccination dashboard as the deadline for students to be fully vaccinated for the fall semester is Aug. 6.

When you visit the dashboard you’ll see two pie charts, one to show the number of students who have and haven’t reported their vaccination, another for employees. Employees aren’t required to be vaccinated, but the university wants to get as close to 100% as possible.

The data is updated twice a week. In order for the dashboard to be accurate, Virginia Tech not only needs people to get vaccinated but students and employees also need to upload their information. It’s simple, students and employees just take a picture of their vaccination card and upload it to the secure portal.

“That dashboard is a critical tool in one, helping us get to that finish line and two for us to know in certainty that our community is safe from COVID-19, the variants that are emerging and so that we can enjoy our goal,” said Virginia Tech spokesperson Mark Owczarski.

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Most students aren’t on campus right now so the university is sending out emails, posting on social media, even looking into incentive programs to get people to report their vaccination.

If a student hasn’t gotten their first shot or needs to get their second shot, Owczarski said now is the time to do that.

“While it feels like August is still a long way away, we’ve just celebrated the Fourth of July, it’s important to remember in order to be fully vaccinated you may need 21 or 28 days in between vaccination shots to be fully vaccinated so now is the time to start,” Owczarski said.

For example, if you want the Moderna vaccine the last day to get your first dose in time for Virginia Tech’s August 6 deadline is Thursday, June 8. If you decide on the Pfizer vaccine, the latest you can get your first dose is Thursday, July 15.

As for the Johnson & Johnson vaccine and second doses for Moderna and Pfizer, the latest a student can get those are Aug. 5. It has to be uploaded to the portal by that date too.

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Virginia Tech is working with the New River Valley Health District to secure a vaccine supply for students to make access easier.

Virginia Tech isn’t the only university in our region that is requiring students to be fully vaccinated before the fall semester begins.

You may seek a medical or religious exemption to the vaccination requirement.