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COVID 19 Updates

COVID-19 Vaccination Policy

COVID-19 Vaccination and Booster Requirements 

All students, faculty, staff, and visitors on campus must be up-to-date with their COVID-19 vaccines unless they have approved religious or medical exemptions. “Up-to-date” means that the person is fully vaccinated as defined within this policy and that they have received a booster dose when eligible.

All students and employees on campus who are vaccinated as defined in this policy are required to provide information regarding their vaccination status in accordance with the instructions within. Upon request, visitors should be prepared to show proof of vaccination and their booster shots or certify that they have valid religious or medical exemptions.

There are separate documentation requirements for students and employees seeking medical or religious exemptions (please see below).

Per CDC guidance, individuals have the option of receiving more than one booster dose as recommended by their healthcare provider, when eligible. Students with questions about additional booster doses may consult with Health Services. Employees should consult with their healthcare provider. 

Primary COVID-19 Vaccine Series

“Fully vaccinated” means that a person has received all recommended doses in their primary series of any of the COVID-19 vaccines approved or authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”): Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna, Novavax or Janssen (also known as Johnson & Johnson).

Middlebury accepts any of the FDA-approved or authorized vaccines listed above. However, for safety and efficacy reasons, in most situations the CDC recommends the Pfizer, Moderna, or Novavax vaccine over the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. See additional information from the CDC here and additional FDA information here. 

Employees receiving the vaccine should discuss with their healthcare provider appropriate dosing, timing of all vaccine doses, and vaccine brand (especially Johnson & Johnson). Students should contact Health Services.

For additional information regarding vaccines, see guidance from the CDC or speak with your healthcare provider.

Approved Vaccines for Individuals Living Outside the United States

For individuals living outside the United States who do not have access to the FDA-approved  COVID-19 vaccines referenced within, the following criteria must be met for them to be considered conditionally vaccinated against COVID-19:

  • They have official medical documentation, in English, of the following full series of COVID-19 vaccinations with all doses administered according to the dosing schedule recommended by the CDC. (Original documentation may be in a foreign language with English translation attached. English translations must include your name, date of birth, vaccine manufacturer, and vaccination dates.) 
  • Please refer to the CDC and WHO websites for approved vaccines and doses.  Individuals must complete the series according to the WHO or CDC guidelines for the specific vaccine used.
  • Fourteen days have passed since the last dose of the series.

Please note that some vaccines are not considered approved for use by the World Health Organization (WHO), and individuals who received these vaccines and plan to be on campus are considered to be unvaccinated. These individuals should contact Health Services, their healthcare provider, and/or their program administrator for guidance on receiving an FDA- or WHO-approved vaccine and follow guidance for unvaccinated status during the arrival period and thereafter, if applicable.

Booster Shots

Eligible individuals who have received all recommended doses in their primary series of COVID-19 vaccines are also required to receive a booster shot in accordance with the dosing schedule recommended by the CDC. For more information about COVID-19 booster shots authorized in the United States, please see CDC guidance. Individuals receiving the vaccine should consider appropriate dosing and timing of all vaccine doses in consultation with their healthcare provider.

Individuals with questions about whether they are eligible to receive a booster shot should contact their healthcare provider. Students should contact Health Services.

Immunocompromised individuals should also refer to CDC guidance. 

Additional information from the CDC about COVID-19 vaccine booster shots is available here.

Booster Shots for Eligible Individuals Who Received WHO-Approved Vaccines

Booster shots are also required for eligible individuals who received any of the WHO-approved vaccines. Please see the CDC’s guidance for additional information.  

Please also see the CDC guidance for moderately or severely immunocompromised individuals. 

Vaccination and Booster Shot Deadlines

Students 

All students must be up-to-date on their COVID-19 vaccinations as defined by this policy or have an approved medical or religious exemption. Documentation must be uploaded in accordance with the instructions within. 

Students who do not comply may be placed on a leave of absence, not be permitted to participate in room draw, and/or be considered ineligible to register for future classes. Student accounts for those placed on a leave of absence will be credited in accordance with the College’s Refunds Policy. 

If students are placed on a leave of absence for failure to comply with this policy, they will be eligible to return for the next academic term (fall or spring) provided that they are in full compliance with the College’s vaccination and booster requirements. They must notify their dean of their intention to return for the next term and provide proof of compliance by uploading their vaccination information to the student health portal by November 1 (for spring term return) and June 15 (for fall term return).

If a student already has received an approved medical or religious exemption for the COVID-19 vaccine, they do not have to resubmit a new exemption request with regard to the booster shot.

Employees

All employees must be up-to-date on their COVID-19 vaccines as defined by this policy or have an approved medical or religious exemption. Middlebury audits employee data for all programs periodically and expects our community will remain at or above 90 percent up-to-date with COVID-19 vaccination. If audit findings indicate otherwise, we will take further steps.

New employees must complete the COVID-19 attestation as a part of their onboarding.  

Failure to comply with this policy may result in discipline, up to and including termination.  

How to Submit Your Vaccine and Booster Shot Documentation

All students must have official medical documentation of their COVID-19 vaccines and booster shots such as an uploaded photo of their CDC vaccine card if received in the United States, or other official vaccine records applicable to vaccines received outside the United States. 

Documentation must be provided in English; original documentation may be in another language with translation attached (any English translation is acceptable). English translations must include your name, date of birth, vaccine manufacturer, and vaccination dates. 

All students, faculty, and staff should keep the original copy of their vaccination and booster shot information card in a safe place and retain a photo of it on their phone or make a photocopy.

Undergraduate Students

All students must upload to their student health portal a photo of their required COVID-19 vaccine record showing a completed vaccination series as an “Immunization Record.” Students eligible for the booster shot must follow the same process in order to verify that they have received their required booster vaccine. Please direct questions to the Health Services nurse triage line at 802-443-3290. It may take a couple of days for your health portal to be updated with your new vaccine or booster record. Please check a few days after uploading to verify that the upload was successful before submitting the record again.

Language Schools and Bread Loaf School of English Students

All Language Schools and Bread Loaf School of English students must upload their vaccine and booster shot documentation via the Sentry MD portal.

Questions? Email Middlebury@SentryMD.com.

Employees

New employees must complete an attestation in Oracle HCM to confirm their compliance with the COVID-19 vaccination policy. Instructions will be provided directly to employees as they join Middlebury. Questions? Email HR@middlebury.edu.

Medical and Religious Exemptions

We recognize that individuals may have medical or religious needs that prevent them from receiving a vaccination and booster shot. Following are instructions for those who may qualify for medical or religious exemptions or accommodations:

Vaccine Trial Participants

Individuals participating in vaccine trials should consult with trial coordinators about receiving other COVID-19 vaccinations that may impact trial results. Employees and students in these circumstances may be eligible for a medical exemption and, if so, they should submit their exemption request in accordance with the instructions above. They should also request that a member of the vaccine trial medical staff sign the medical exemption form for students (COVID-19 Vaccine Exemption Form) or employees (Vaccination Exemption Request Form), as applicable.