To: The Wellesley College Community
From: Andrew Shennan, Provost and Lia Gelin Poorvu ’56 Dean of the College, Sheilah Shaw Horton, Vice President and Dean of Students, and Carolyn Slaboden, Chief Human Resources Officer
Re: Booster Shot Requirement
Date: December 10, 2021
Now that the CDC has recommended COVID-19 vaccine booster shots for all individuals 16 or older, all Wellesley students, faculty, and staff will be required to receive a booster shot before January 15, 2022.
Anyone 16 and older is eligible to receive a booster six months after the second dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine or two months after the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Boosters are widely available but they are in high demand, so please do your best to schedule an appointment as soon as you are able. To find an appointment location, use the Massachusetts COVID-19 vaccine finder or Vaccines.gov.
The booster shot is particularly important given the emergence of the omicron variant and increasing COVID-19 infection rates here in Massachusetts and across the country. Getting a booster shot will not only give you added protection against contracting COVID-19 or becoming seriously ill, it will also help prevent you from spreading the virus to others. The CDC recommends boosters even for those who have experienced breakthrough infections.
Faculty and staff should upload evidence of their COVID-19 booster shot in Workday using these step-by-step directions.
Students should upload proof of their booster shot in Patient Gateway (see instructions).
Students, faculty, or staff who received their second shot of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine after July 15, 2021, and are therefore not eligible for a booster before January 15 should upload proof of their booster shot within 30 days of becoming eligible.
Students who are eligible for a booster by January 15 and who fail to upload proof of their booster shot by that date will not be allowed to move into the residence halls for spring semester. Students who become eligible after January 15 and fail to comply with the booster mandate within 30 days of eligibility will lose housing privileges per the Community Values Code of Conduct Honor Code policy.
Faculty and staff who fail to upload proof of a booster on January 15 or within 30 days after becoming eligible for a booster are subject to being placed on unpaid leave.
Individuals who were previously granted exemptions from vaccinations for medical or religious reasons will be exempt from the booster requirement.
Given the rise in the omicron variant and in rates of infection in Massachusetts and on campus, we will maintain our current health and safety protocols for the start of the spring semester. We will continue to monitor the public health situation and make adjustments based on infection rates and CDC guidelines if needed. Please continue to check Keeping Wellesley Healthy for updated guidance. Because the bulk of the vaccine supply is being distributed to local pharmacies, the College will not be hosting a booster clinic.
Thank you for all you are doing to keep the Wellesley community safe and healthy.
