Mandatory Vaccine Status Reporting
May 28, 2021
Dear Colleagues,
As I am sure you understand, vaccination against COVID-19 by all members of our community is critical to the safe repopulation of our campuses. The vaccines with FDA Emergency Use Authorization have proven to be effective in preventing COVID-19 infection, severe illness, and death. Equally as important, they are very effective at reducing the risk of a vaccinated and infected person transmitting the disease to others.
We have mandated that all our students be vaccinated for the Fall 2021 Semester. It is critically important that our faculty and staff are vaccinated too. We hope to accomplish this goal without mandating vaccination, but this option is still a possibility if we do not reach our goal. Vaccine is now plentiful, and the University continues to run walk-in vaccination clinics on campus for the convenience of our faculty, staff, and students. If you have not been vaccinated, please do so soon.
At this time, it is important for the University to understand exactly how many of our faculty and staff have been or intend to be vaccinated by August 1. To assist Boston University in planning our safety and health protocols, all University employees and affiliates are required to disclose their current vaccination status or plan. In addition, those who have been vaccinated are required to upload their vaccination documentation unless they were vaccinated at the BU Charles River vaccination clinic.
The information submitted will only be used to help us make BU community health decisions. Your response will be stored in your confidential BU Occupational Health medical record, and no health information will be included in your employee personnel record or shared with anyone in your academic or administrative unit.
Please go to the Healthway website and log in to Occupational Health Connect to complete the Vaccine Status Survey by Friday, June 4. Your vaccine status is defined by your positive affirmation of one of the three statements:
- I am fully vaccinated.
- I am not fully vaccinated now, but I will be fully vaccinated by August 1.
- I am not fully vaccinated now and will not be fully vaccinated by August 1.
For this Boston University survey, fully vaccinated means that you have completed all currently required dose(s) in the series of any COVID-19 vaccine. This includes vaccines without U.S. FDA authorization or approval being offered outside of the U.S.
If your response changes in the future, you must revisit this Occupational Health Connect Survey to update your status. If you are fully vaccinated, and received your vaccination outside of BU, you are required to upload your vaccination documentation by June 4 through the Healthway portal.
The health of the Boston University community is the responsibility of all of us. Please submit your vaccination status and plan before June 4. If you have questions or need assistance, please contact BU COVID 19 Employee Support at covidhelp@bu.edu. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Robert A. Brown
President