COVID-19 Response
The Emergency Management Team will continue to monitor the impacts of COVID-19 and maintain its capacity to implement appropriate mitigation measures if the public health need arises.
The most important mitigation effort to protect yourself, your family and loved ones and our SDSU community from the spread of COVID-19 is to get vaccinated. Learn more by visiting the COVID-19 Vaccine page.
Brookings County Community Status
Announcements
The following section will be used to communicate additional important information pertaining to COVID-19. Please continue to check this area of the website on a regular basis.
September 11, 2023
FDA Announces Approval and Authorization of Updated COVID-19 Vaccines
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration took action approving and authorizing for emergency use updated COVID-19 vaccines formulated to target currently circulating variants and to provide better protection against serious consequences of COVID-19, including hospitalization and death. These actions relate to updated mRNA vaccines for 2023-2024 manufactured by ModernaTX Inc. and Pfizer Inc., which have been updated to include a monovalent (single) component that corresponds to the Omicron variant XBB.1.5.
- Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine (2023-2024 Formula): individuals ages 6 months and older
- Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine (2023-2024 Formula): individuals ages 6 months and older
Note that FDA has not yet authorized or approved an updated Novavax vaccine for 2023-2024. As a result, the existing Novavax vaccine may still be administered at this time if it is determined that the individual should not wait for a 2023-2024 Novavax COVID-19 vaccine.
Bivalent mRNA COVID-19 Vaccines Are No Longer Authorized
As part of FDA’s actions, the bivalent Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines are no longer authorized for use in the United States. To minimize the risk of vaccine administration errors, providers should:
- Remove all bivalent mRNA COVID-19 vaccines from storage units immediately, even if they are not expired.
- Once all inventory is fully accounted for, delete bivalent mRNA COVID-19 vaccine listings from the available vaccine inventory in your Immunization Information System.
- Dispose of all bivalent mRNA COVID-19 vaccine vials in accordance with local, state, and federal regulations.
- Report all disposed inventory as wastage in SDIIS.
Updated May 11, 2023
End of the Federal COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE) Declaration
May 11, 2023, marks the end of the federal COVID-19 PHE declaration. After this date, CDC’s authorizations to collect certain types of public health data will expire.
The United States has mobilized and sustained a historic response to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a nation, we now find ourselves at a different point in the pandemic – with more tools and resources than ever before to better protect ourselves and our communities.
Most tools, like vaccines, treatments, and testing, will remain available. But, some tools, like certain data sources and reporting, will change.
Updated April 20, 2023
- CDC has taken steps to simplify COVID-19 vaccine recommendations and allow more flexibility for people at higher risk who want the option of added protection from additional COVID-19 vaccine doses.
- CDC’s new recommendations allow an additional updated (bivalent) vaccine dose for adults ages 65 years and older and additional doses for people who are immunocompromised. This allows more flexibility for healthcare providers to administer additional doses to immunocompromised patients as needed.
- Monovalent (original) mRNA COVID-19 vaccines will no longer be recommended for use in the United States.
- CDC recommends that everyone ages 6 years and older receive an updated (bivalent) mRNA COVID-19 vaccine, regardless of whether they previously completed their (monovalent) primary series.
- Individuals ages 6 years and older who have already received an updated mRNA vaccine do not need to take any action unless they are 65 years or older or immunocompromised.
- For young children, multiple doses continue to be recommended and will vary by age, vaccine, and which vaccines were previously received.
- Alternatives to mRNA COVID-19 vaccines remain available for people who cannot or will not receive an mRNA vaccine. CDC’s recommendations for use of (monovalent) Novavax or Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen COVID-19 vaccines were not affected by the changes made today.
What to do if you were exposed to COVID-19
Updated August 07, 2023
CDC streamlines COVID-19 guidance
Updated August 11, 2022
CDC is streamlining its COVID-19 guidance to help people better understand their risk, how to protect themselves and others, what actions to take if exposed to COVID-19, and what actions to take if they are sick or test positive for the virus.
In support of this update CDC is:
- Continuing to promote the importance of being up to date with vaccination to protect people against serious illness, hospitalization, and death. Protection provided by the current vaccine against symptomatic infection and transmission is less than that against severe disease and diminishes over time, especially against the currently circulating variants. For this reason, it is important to stay up to date, especially as new vaccines become available.
- Updating its guidance for people who are not up to date on COVID-19 vaccines on what to do if exposed to someone with COVID-19. This is consistent with the existing guidance for people who are up to date on COVID-19 vaccines.
- Recommending that instead of quarantining if you were exposed to COVID-19, you wear a high-quality mask for 10 days and get tested on day 5.
- Reiterating that regardless of vaccination status, you should isolate from others when you have COVID-19.
- You should also isolate if you are sick and suspect that you have COVID-19 but do not yet have test results.
- If your results are positive, follow CDC’s full isolation recommendations.
- If your results are negative, you can end your isolation.
- You should also isolate if you are sick and suspect that you have COVID-19 but do not yet have test results.
- Recommending that if you test positive for COVID-19, you stay home for at least 5 days and isolate from others in your home. You are likely most infectious during these first 5 days. Wear a high-quality mask when you must be around others at home and in public.
- If after 5 days you are fever-free for 24 hours without the use of medication, and your symptoms are improving, or you never had symptoms, you may end isolation after day 5.
- Regardless of when you end isolation, avoid being around people who are more likely to get very sick from COVID-19 until at least day 11.
- You should wear a high-quality mask through day 10.
- Recommending that if you had moderate illness (if you experienced shortness of breath or had difficulty breathing) or severe illness (you were hospitalized) due to COVID-19 or you have a weakened immune system, you need to isolate through day 10.
- Recommending that if you had severe illness or have a weakened immune system, consult your doctor before ending isolation. Ending isolation without a viral test may not be an option for you. If you are unsure if your symptoms are moderate or severe or if you have a weakened immune system, talk to a healthcare provider for further guidance.
- Clarifying that after you have ended isolation, if your COVID-19 symptoms worsen, restart your isolation at day 0. Talk to a healthcare provider if you have questions about your symptoms or when to end isolation.
- Recommending screening testing of asymptomatic people without known exposures will no longer be recommended in most community settings.
- Emphasizing that physical distance is just one component of how to protect yourself and others. It is important to consider the risk in a particular setting, including local COVID-19 Community Levels and the important role of ventilation, when assessing the need to maintain physical distance.
COVID-19 Testing Center Update
Updated August 9, 2022
The COVID-19 testing center on campus will be only for students.
Student testing using the Vault PCR test will continue to be free and will be offered in the Student Health Clinic in the Miller Wellness Center, Monday and Wednesday during the summer. Testing will be available from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Rapid Tests are available for employees through their units for anyone needing them. If units need more tests, please contact EMT for more supplies.
Vaccine Clinics
Posted August 9, 2022
The university will hold a COVID-19 vaccine clinic on September 15, 2022 from 12:30 - 3 p.m. at Jack's Place in the University Student Union. The Moderna vaccine will be offered. Please note:
- It is a walk-in clinic. Students DO NOT need an appointment.
- Please bring a valid student ID if this is your first dose and your vaccine card if you are receiving a booster. Please note that if you previously received your dose on campus we have a record of the vaccine. If not, you will need to provide proof of vaccines to receive a booster if you have already completed the series.
- You will need to complete the consent form before getting your vaccine. The form is available online. Please print before coming.
- A second vaccine clinic will be announced at the later date for those that will receive their first dose on Sept. 15.
Fall 2022 Semester to Proceed as Planned
South Dakota State University is offering Fall Semester 2022 courses in their originally scheduled format. Therefore, courses typically delivered in-person will be face-to-face.