Tufts Updated COVID-19 vaccine & flu shot requirements

Eligible members of the Tufts Community required to get updated COVID booster and strongly encouraged to get flu shot.

(from Tufts Infections Control Health Director | Michael R. Jordan, MD, MPH, FIDSA)

The COVID-19 pandemic is not over. Indeed, SARS-CoV-2, the cause of COVID-19, is becoming an endemic infectious disease, and we continue to see new cases on our campuses. Therefore, in accordance with the university’s current COVID-19 vaccine policies, we are requiring all eligible faculty, staff, and students to receive the updated (bivalent) COVID-19 booster.

Additionally, all students on all campuses will be required to receive an annual influenza vaccination. This includes full- and part-time students, regardless of age. All faculty and staff are very strongly encouraged to receive their annual influenza vaccination.

The deadline for compliance with these requirements for all students, faculty, and staff is Friday, December 2, 2022.

COVID-19 Bivalent Boosters

Register for an on-campus bivalent booster clinic date and location that works best for you at go.tufts.edu/COVIDvaccine.

More clinic dates will be added over the next week. Please check the website for updates. COVID-19 vaccination is also widely available at local pharmacies.

Eligibility: If it has been at least two months since you completed your primary vaccination or received your most recent (monovalent) COVID-19 booster dose:

• You are eligible for the updated Pfizer-BioNTech booster if you are 12 years or older.
• You are also eligible for the updated Moderna booster if you are 18 years or older.

Note: If you have recently had COVID-19 infection, the CDC’s guidance states that you may consider delaying your next dose of vaccine by three months; however, it is safe to receive the booster vaccine as soon as you have ended the isolation period. If you want to delay your booster beyond the December 2 deadline, you will need to complete a self-attestation form, which will be provided.

Flu Shots

Register for an on-campus flu clinic date and location that works best for you at go.tufts.edu/FluShot.

Accommodations

For information about how to request a medical or religious accommodation for either the COVID-19 booster or the influenza vaccine, please see the COVID-19 vaccine webpage.

Vaccine Documentation

After receiving the COVID-19 booster and/or influenza vaccine, please upload or email your booster documentation to:

• Medford/Somerville/SMFA students: go.tufts.edu/vaccineupload
• Boston/Grafton students: SAHA-Imm-Admin@tufts.edu
• All faculty/staff (for COVID booster only): go.tufts.edu/vaccineupload

Please do not delay getting your COVID-19 bivalent booster and influenza vaccinations. It is safe to get both vaccines at the same time. Given ongoing community transmission of COVID-19, we strongly advise everyone to wear a mask when indoors, especially when in large groups.

Thank you for keeping the Tufts University community healthy this season.