COVID-19 Resource Center

Official documentation (i.e., the vaccination card you received from the provider who administered your vaccine) that shows an FDA- or WHO-approved COVID-19 vaccine, including vaccines approved under Emergency Use Authorization by the FDA or WHO. Proof of vaccination can also be obtained from your state immunization registry or the provider that administered the vaccine.

To meet the requirement, students may show proof of vaccination from any COVID-19 vaccine that has FDA full approval (Pfizer-BioNTech) or Emergency Use Authorization (Moderna and Johnson & Johnson / Janssen). Additionally, World Health Organization (WHO) Emergency Use Listing vaccines will meet the requirement, including the previous vaccines as well as AstraZeneca, Covishield, Sinopharm, and Sinovac-CoronaVAC.

Students submit proof of vaccination to the University’s Wellness Center by emailing Wellness.Center@msj.edu.  Employees submit proof of vaccination to the University’s Office of Human Resources by emailing Human.Resources@msj,edu.

The University may provide exemptions when a student or employee is unable to comply with this policy for medical or religious/moral reasons. The University also considers and facilitates students’ requests for exemptions from any COVID-19 vaccine requirements imposed by various external businesses and organizations (“External Partners) as a condition of the student’s placement in their business, organization, or facilities.   The University reserves the right to approve or deny requests based on its legitimate operational, academic and other nondiscriminatory interests and in accordance applicable law.  

To request an exemption, students and employees must complete the Exemption Request and Waiver Form and submit it to the Wellness Center at Wellness.Center@msj.edu (students) or Office of Human Resources at Human.Resources@msj.edu (employees). 

Please note that requesting an exemption does not guarantee that the request will be approved.

The vaccine requirement applies to all students and employees except those students enrolled in fully online courses or programs who are not required to be present on campus for any portion of a class or program (including but not limited to high school dual enrollment students) or employees with positions that do not require presence on campus at any time or for any reason.   

The vaccination requirement applies to all students registering for the 2022 spring semester and beyond. Current students who are not compliant with the vaccination requirement as of December 15, 2021 will be removed from their spring 2022 classes and will not be permitted to attend the University beginning January 10, 2022.

Vaccination status of students and employees will be kept confidential by the University consistent with applicable laws. 

The University reserves the right to modify this policy and/or to change vaccination requirements at any time in response to changing circumstances.

Yes, according to the CDC, you should be vaccinated regardless of whether 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. Even if you have already recovered from COVID-19, it is possible that you could be infected with the virus that causes COVID-19 again.

If you were treated for COVID-19 with monoclonal antibodies or convalescent plasma, you should wait 90 days before getting a COVID-19 vaccine. Contact the Wellness Center or the Office of Human Resources, as applicable, if this applies to you.  Talk to your healthcare provider if you are unsure what treatments you received or if you have more questions about getting a COVID-19 vaccine.

No. Students and employees who are fully vaccinated will not be required to quarantine if they are exposed to someone with COVID-19 and do not have symptoms of COVID-19.  Please note that students and employees who are granted an exemption rather than receiving the vaccine will be required to participate in surveillance testing, quarantine in accordance with CDC guidance if contact tracing determines they came into close contact with someone infected with COVID-19, and any other University-wide protocols related to COVID-19 mitigation.

Student and employees must maintain their full vaccination by getting a “booster” at the intervals recommended by the CDC, and state or local departments of health, including as necessary for protection against variants.  Student and employees have 30 days from the recommended booster date to comply.  If limited vaccine availability prevents a person from obtaining a booster, please notify the Wellness Center or Office Human Resources, as applicable, for assistance in advance of your deadline. Failure to maintain vaccination as required, or failure timely to provide proof, is a violation of the University’s vaccine requirement policy.

Students and employees may schedule their own vaccinations through outside sources.  To find a vaccine location, please visit the CDC”s website or search vaccines.gov, text your ZIP code to 438829, or call 1-800-232-0233.

Students should schedule their vaccinations outside of class time.  Employees should schedule their vaccination outside of work hours, whenever possible.  

Students and employees will not have to pay out of pocket for a COVID-19 vaccine, whether you have insurance or not.  Vaccinations are free to all persons in the United States.  If you have health insurance, vaccinations must be run through your health insurance first.

Unreimbursed costs associated with a vaccination appointment are extremely rare. Students and employees are expected to use reasonable care avoid such costs whenever possible   Before incurring any cost, please contact the Wellness Center or Office of Human Resources, as applicable, if you have reason to believe your vaccination will result in an out-of-pocket cost to you.  In the extremely unlikely circumstance that out of pocket costs are unavoidable, as determined by the Wellness Center or Office of Human Resources in advance, students may submit authorized uncovered costs to the Wellness Center to request reimbursement and employees may submit any authorized uncovered costs to their manager to request reimbursement.

Students and employees who are fully vaccinated:

• Are still required wear facial coverings while indoors on campus and at University-sponsored events, except in limited circumstances as set forth in the University’s COVID-19 Health and Safety Guidelines.
• Are not required to socially distance on campus or while attending University-sponsored events.
• Are not required to report a suspected or confirmed COVID-19 exposure to the University as long the fully vaccinated person has no COVID-19 symptoms and has not been diagnosed with COVID-19.
• Are not required to quarantine or get tested after a suspected or confirmed COVID-19 exposure as long the fully vaccinated person has no COVID-19 symptoms and has not been diagnosed with COVID-19.
• Are not required to participate in the University’s surveillance testing protocols.

Regardless of vaccination status, no person should come to campus for any reason if the person is sick or experiencing any symptoms that have not been diagnosed as something other than a contagious illness (including but not limited to, COVID-19).

Exemptions may be granted when a student or employee is unable to comply with the policy due to health or religious/moral reasons. Not all health conditions or religious positions will qualify for an exemption, and the University reserves the right to approve or deny requests based on its legitimate operational, academic and other nondiscriminatory interests and in accordance applicable law.

A certification from the student’s or employee’s healthcare provider is necessary to support a health-related exemption request.  The CDC recognizes the following as contraindications to the COVID-19 vaccines:  severe allergic reaction (e.g. anaphylaxis) after a previous dose or to a component of the COVID-19 vaccine or immediate (with 4 hours of exposure) allergic reaction of any severity to a previous dose or known (diagnosed) allergy to a component of the vaccine.  The CDC recognizes that other conditions may constitute a precaution for the COVID-19 vaccine warranting delayed vaccination.  In many cases, the vaccine may still be indicated in the presence of a precaution if the benefit of the protection from the vaccine outweighs the risk for an adverse reaction. Therefore, the University will review all health-related exemptions on a case-by-case basis. 

A notarized statement of the student’s or employee’s sincerely held religious or moral belief preventing them from getting the COVID-19 vaccine must be provided to support requests for exemptions for religious or moral reasons.  The University also carefully reviews these requests on a case-by-case basis in light of all relevant information and circumstances.  Most religious doctrines do not prohibit COVID-19 vaccines, and, in fact, recognize vaccinations as a sign of love and respect for others and an important tool for the preservation and protection of human life.  The University encourages students and employees to talk to their religious leaders about whether their religious or moral beliefs prohibit the COVID-19 vaccine and they should obtain all necessary information about the development, ingredients, safety, and efficacy of the vaccine from reliable, accurate sources. 

Students and employees requesting an exemption for any reason must be aware of the benefits and risks of receiving the COVID-19 vaccine and risks of not being immunize and agree to be responsible for all consequences that may result from the exemption, including impairment of their health or delay in academic/graduation progression. 

If you are unsure which vaccine to get or if you have any health-related questions about the COVID-19 vaccines, please consult your health care provider immediately. 

The Wellness Center staff remains available to speak with students and can be reached at Wellness.Center@msj.edu.  The staff in the Office of Human resources remains available to speak with employees and can be reached at Human.Resources@msj.edu. 

The COVID-19 pandemic has proven to be an evolving situation requiring frequent analysis and reevaluation of existing policies and procedures as new information, recommendations, research, and data becomes available.  The University reserves the right to modify any of its policies, including but not limited to the COVID-19 Vaccine Policy and the COVID-19 Safety Guidelines, at any time in response to changing circumstances or business needs.  Students and employees will be informed of any changes through email and updates will be posted on the University’s website.  Please check these resources regularly for up-to-date information.