Butte County Public Health announced March 30 that any person 16 or older who lives or works in Butte County is now immediately eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. Faculty and staff have been eligible since January as part of the education sector, so this expands eligibility to our student population.
Chico State strongly encourages all Wildcats who are able to get vaccinated to do so. The ability for our entire campus community to get vaccinated gives us a shot to safely return to a more full, lively campus as soon as possible. There is no cost to get vaccinated, but appointments are required.
Schedule Your Appointment in Butte County
For Wildcats who are currently residing or working in Butte County, here is the process:
Visit myturn.ca.gov to register and schedule appointments. Upon entering your zip code, you will be able to choose to get vaccinated at either the Chico Community Vaccination Clinic located at the Silver Dollar Fairground or the Chico Hospital Vaccination Clinic located at 1601 Esplanade. Choose the date and time of your appointment.
Please arrive no more than five minutes before your appointment, bring your ID, and wear a short sleeve shirt if possible.
Scheduling If You Live Outside of Butte County
Beginning April 15, all Californians aged 16 or older will be eligible to schedule an appointment to get vaccinated. Many counties across the state have already opened up vaccines to all adults 16 or older. Check the website of your local county health department for details.
Why You Should Vaccinate
The benefits of COVID-19 vaccination include prevention of serious illness, hospitalization, and death from the virus. Widespread vaccinations are critical to help stop the pandemic and to protect our University community. Specific benefits for Chico State students include:
- An expedited return to pre-pandemic normal
- Additional face-to-face course offerings and academic experiences
- Opportunities for a wider range of events and activities both on-campus and in the community
- Expanded dining and social options in Chico
- Greater interpersonal collaboration among faculty and students
- Most important, a safer Chico State contributes to a safer California for our families, our friends, and our neighbors across the state.
These benefits can only be achieved if we do our part to get the virus under control and reach herd immunity. Getting your vaccine is a straightforward way to do your part to get us closer to that goal. We encourage you to urge your friends, roommates, and peers to consider getting vaccinated.
Facts About the COVID-19 Vaccine
- You still need to get a vaccine, even if already had, and recovered from COVID-19
- You should be vaccinated even if you already had COVID-19. That’s because experts do not yet know how long you are protected from getting sick again after recovering from COVID-19.
- 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. 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. It is the safest and quickest way to end this pandemic and get back to normal.
- The COVID-19 Vaccines Are Safe and Effective
- Millions of people in the United States have already received COVID-19 vaccines under the most intense safety monitoring in US history. The vaccines met FDA’s rigorous scientific standards for safety, effectiveness, and manufacturing quality. Additionally, COVID-19 and its vaccines have NOT been linked to infertility or miscarriage. A sophisticated disinformation campaign has been circulating online claiming the vaccines could impact fertility, but these postings are not scientifically plausible.
- 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.
- We will all still need to wear masks and practice social distancing after vaccination
- It will take time for everyone who wants a COVID-19 vaccination to get one. Also, while the vaccine may prevent you from getting sick, it is unknown at this time if you can still carry and transmit the virus to others. Until more is understood about how well the vaccine works, continuing with precautions such as mask-wearing and physical distancing will be important.
Visit the Centers for Disease Control’s Key Things to Know About COVID-19 Vaccines page for the latest vaccine information.