Travel, treatments, prevention, and news about boosters

Dear Members of the Yale Community,

In last week’s message, I shared health and safety measures you might choose to take as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) COVID-19 Community Levels in most of Connecticut remain high. In this week’s message, I will provide a few updates on these measures, new information about COVID-19 boosters, and a reminder about prevention and Commencement resources.

Tips for traveling

Earlier this week, the CDC updated its guidance for domestic travel to encourage travelers to consider being tested no more than three days before departure, regardless of vaccination status.

If your summer plans include travel, I encourage you to review all of the CDC’s travel guidance, which includes mask recommendations, travel recommendations by destination, and requirements for international travel.

Steps to take care of yourself and protect others if you test positive for COVID-19

As I’ve written previously, effective treatments for COVID-19 are now widely available. Recently, Yale Medicine published a helpful overview of these treatments. Remember, if you test positive, contact your health care provider as soon as possible to see if you are eligible for treatment.

You may be concerned about transmitting infection to others in your home if you test positive for COVID-19. The CDC provides steps you can take not only to care for yourself but also to protect others in your household, such as using separate bathrooms, not sharing personal household items, wearing a well-fitted mask, and optimizing household ventilation. Earlier this week, Kaiser Health News published detailed guidance on ways to improve household ventilation.

Steps everyone can take to prevent infections

Many of the actions we can take to prevent infections were summarized in my message last week and are represented in the CDC image below:

(Click on the image above for a larger view of the poster.)

New vaccine booster recommendations

This week, the Food and Drug Administration authorized, and the CDC recommended, the administration of a booster dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5 to 11, at least 5 months after their primary vaccination series.

The CDC also strengthened its recommendation that individuals age 12 and older who are immunocompromised and all individuals age 50 and older receive a second booster 4 months or more after their first booster.

Faculty, staff, students, and Yale Health members may schedule an appointment for a booster online through the Yale COVID-19 Vaccine Program. You may also call the Campus COVID Resource Line at 203-432-6604 for assistance. Anyone, including spouses or dependents who are not Yale Health members, may schedule an appointment at other sites across the state.

And, finally, a reminder about Commencement resources

Anyone planning to be on campus for this weekend’s ceremonies and celebrations should consult both the Commencement website and Yale’s COVID-19 site for the most up-to-date public health guidance.

In closing, I want to convey my very best wishes to all of our graduates and thank them for their diligent efforts throughout the pandemic to care for themselves and the surrounding community. And I wish all members of the community safe and rewarding travels, celebrations, work, and study in the weeks ahead.

Stephanie S. Spangler, M.D.
Vice Provost for Health Affairs and Academic Integrity
Clinical Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences
University COVID-19 Coordinator