Coronavirus/COVID-19 Information
COVID-19 Hotline

530-898-2222
covidhotline@csuchico.edu

Students, faculty, and staff should contact the COVID-19 hotline if you are symptomatic, believe you have been exposed, or tested positive for COVID-19.

Important Links

Butte County Public Health Department

Testing Locations in Butte County

California Department of Public Health

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Get Vaccinated

For the 2022-2023 academic year, and per California State University system policy, all students, faculty and staff who will access campus facilities or participate in in-person learning or campus programs must:

  • Be Up to Date with their COVD-19 vaccinations against COVID-19 as defined by CDC, and complete their vaccination certification by 8/1/2022, or
  • Receive an approved medical or religious exemption by 8/1/2022, or
  • Students, faculty and staff not accessing campus facilities or participating in in-person learning or campus programs are not required to be vaccinated but must complete their vaccination certification by selecting the “I do not plan to physically access CSU facilities…” option by 8/1/2022. 

Students can complete their vaccination certification by visiting https://www.csuchico.edu/coronavirus/vaccine-certification-student.shtml.

Employees can complete their vaccination certification by visiting https://www.csuchico.edu/coronavirus/vaccine-certification-employee.shtml.

Find a Vaccine

COVID-19 vaccines are widely available at pharmacies nationwide, often with no appointment necessary. All persons 12 or older are eligible and there is no cost to get vaccinated. 

Find a Vaccine

You can also visit the Butte County Public Health vaccination website to locate community clinics in the Chico area.  

CSU Vaccine Requirement Frequently Asked Questions

Per the California State University Chancellor's Office policy, the COVID-19 vaccine and booster is required for students, faculty, and staff, to access campus facilities or participate in in-person classes and activities.

Students and employees must enter vaccine record information or request an approved exemption:

  • Who is required to be vaccinated?
    The requirement covers all undergraduate and graduate students and faculty and staff who intend to be on campus for any period. Vaccination will be required at Chico State to access campus facilities or participate in in-person classes and activities.
  • Am I required to get a COVID-19 booster shot?

    Yes, the CSU requires students or employees to get booster shots in order to access campus facilities for the spring 2022 semester. 

    All students, faculty, and staff must receive a COVID-19 booster when they become eligible. You are eligible for a booster five months after the second dose of the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine, or two months after a single dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

  • How can students submit proof of their COVID-19 vaccination?
    Students can now submit their vaccination status via the Student Center by clicking “Covid 19 Vaccination” in the Student Records menu. View detailed instructions for students on how to submit their vaccination status.
  • How can faculty and staff submit proof of their COVID-19 vaccination?
    Employees should submit their vaccine certification using the appropriate form:
  • Do I qualify for an exemption? 

    Only students, faculty, and staff who cannot be vaccinated because of a medical reason or sincerely held religious belief, practice, or observance may request an exemption. Exemption requests are evaluated on a case-by-case basis. They are NOT automatically approved. Personal reasons for not getting vaccinated do not qualify for an exemption. Neither the medical nor religious exemption forms should be used unless they seriously apply to your situation.

    Reminder: violations of the CSU vaccine policy, including dishonesty, may subject students to discipline under CSU Executive Order 1098, Student Conduct Procedures, and employees to discipline pursuant to California Education Code section 89535.

    Student Process

    Students can begin the process by indicating their intention to seek an exemption using the Vaccine Self-Certification form in the Student Center. View instructions. In addition, students must fulfill these requirements:

    • If requesting a medical exemption, students must also fill out the Accessibility Resource Center’s registration form and provide documentation verifying the medical issue.  
    • If requesting a religious exemption, once the student has filled out the Student Center form, they will be contacted by the Title IX/DHR office and provided with information on how to submit their request for religious exemption through an online form. 

    Faculty and Staff Process

    While completing the Employee COVID-19 Vaccine Self-Certification (view instructions), employees may request a medical or religious exemption and they will be contacted to provide additional information. Requesting an exemption does not guarantee approval. 

    Questions

    Questions about vaccine exemptions may be directed to the following offices:

  • If I’m exempted, will I need to undergo regular COVID-19 testing?

    Chico State employees (excluding student employees) who have not uploaded proof of being fully vaccinated against COVID-19 are required to undergo weekly testing. This includes employees with approved medical or religious exemptions and those who have certified to being fully vaccinated, but who haven’t yet uploaded their vaccine record. 

    To opt out of weekly testing, proof of your vaccination must be uploaded into the employee self-certification portal.

    At this time, exempted students are not required to undergo regular testing.

  • I received a vaccine outside of the US. Does it satisfy the requirement?
    Yes, we are accepting all international COVID-19 vaccines that are approved by the World Health Organization (WHO) or any governing regulatory body.
  • Do I need a vaccine if I've had COVID-19 and have antibodies?
    Yes, you need to get a vaccine, even if you already had COVID-19. Vaccination provides a strong boost in protection in people who have recovered from COVID-19, and studies show vaccines appear to be more effective against variants than acquired immunity. With the rapid spread of the highly contagious Delta variant, it is more important than ever to get vaccinated.

Facts About the COVID-19 Vaccine

Visit the Centers for Disease Control’s Key Things to Know About COVID-19 Vaccines page and Benefits of Getting a COVID-19 Vaccine page for the latest information.

The COVID-19 vaccines are safe.

Extensive testing and monitoring have shown that COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective. These vaccines are not experimental and are based on science that's been around for decades. The vaccines went through all the required stages of clinical trials and have met the FDA’s rigorous scientific standards for safety, effectiveness, and manufacturing quality. Millions of people in the United States have already received COVID-19 vaccines under the most intense safety monitoring in US history. Learn more about the safety of vaccines.

You need a vaccine, even if you are young and healthy.

Being young and otherwise healthy doesn’t guarantee any natural immunity against COVID-19. Even if you don’t develop any symptoms from COVID-19, you can still pass it along to people who are older or at higher risk, including friends and family members. Hospitals are also seeing more young adults admitted with COVID-19 as more contagious variants spread. To protect those who are most vulnerable, we must rely on the vast majority of the population to get vaccinated, even those who may otherwise be young and healthy. 

Vaccines are effective, even against COVID-19 variants.

COVID-19 vaccines are effective at keeping you from getting COVID-19, especially severe illness and death. They are highly effective in preventing serious illness caused by mutations like the Delta or Omicron variant. COVID-19 variants can be highly contagious and has proven especially dangerous for unvaccinated people, so it's even more important to get vaccinated as soon as possible. Vaccines also help stop the creation of new variants by eliminating opportunities to spread and keep mutating.

Some people do experience short-term, mild effects from the vaccine.

There are short-term mild or moderate vaccine reactions that resolve without complication or injury. Some people get reactions such as a headache, chills, fatigue or muscle pain, or fever lasting for a day or two. Keep in mind that these side effects are indicators that your immune system is responding to the vaccine and are common when receiving vaccines.