Members of the Brown Community:

We recognize that the COVID-19 vaccine is a topic of much interest and many questions among Brown community members. The University is committed to keeping our community informed as information becomes available. Given the pace at which national and state strategies are progressing, we do not have answers to all of our collective questions at this point, but we are ensuring that Brown is prepared to initiate planning when the University learns how and when the vaccine will be made available to members of our community. While we do not yet have a timeline for when we’ll know this, we are writing to share what we know now about the following:

(1) Eligibility determinations for receiving the vaccine
(2) Brown’s COVID-19 vaccination preparations
(3) Education about the vaccine’s benefits to health and safety

(1) Eligibility Determinations for Receiving the COVID-19 Vaccine

In Rhode Island, eligibility for the vaccine is determined by the Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH). The state is currently in Phase 1 of its vaccination plan, which involves vaccinating individuals in the health care and medical fields, a range of essential and front-line workers and categories of high-risk individuals. Individual states establish the timelines for eligible populations, and Massachusetts residents can learn more about their state’s plans on the Massachusetts COVID-19 Vaccine Information website, while those living in Connecticut can visit the Connecticut COVID-19 Response website for vaccination information. We encourage all members of the Brown community to pay attention to the state plan where they reside, and if you become eligible to receive the vaccine, do so as soon as possible. Information for each state is available on the following websites:

Rhode Island: https://health.ri.gov/publications/guidelines/COVID19-vaccine-phase-1-timeline.pdf

Massachusetts: https://www.mass.gov/info-details/massachusetts-covid-19-vaccine-information

Connecticut: https://portal.ct.gov/Coronavirus/COVID-19-Vaccinations

In Rhode Island’s Phase 1 plan, some Brown faculty, staff and students are eligible to be vaccinated – primarily health care workers, first responders and medical students in clinical rotations. Accordingly, some members of our community in the Warren Alpert Medical School, Department of Public Safety, and Health and Wellness have begun receiving the vaccine. Adults 75 years of age and older are also included in Phase 1, and the vaccine is projected to be made available for them in February.

Rhode Island has been effectively distributing the vaccine it receives, but the amounts allocated to the state by the federal government are limited and, to date, have been variable. State officials anticipate the volume of vaccine they receive and the pace of distribution will improve over the coming weeks and months. We hope there will be opportunities in the future for the University to host on-campus clinics to administer the vaccine to eligible populations, but we do not have authorization from the state or access to vaccine to do so at this time.

(2) Brown’s COVID-19 Vaccination Preparations

A COVID-19 Vaccine Working Group — co-chaired by Executive Vice President for Planning and Policy Russell Carey and Dr. Michele Cyr, Professor of Medicine and the Division of Biology and Medicine’s Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs — will oversee Brown’s education and advocacy efforts for the COVID-19 vaccine, as well as advise the president and the provost on matters of policy. The latter responsibility includes an ongoing assessment of whether the vaccine should be mandatory for students and/or employees, which is a matter on which the University has not yet made a decision. Policies and protocols will be based on the best scientific evidence. If Brown decides to make the vaccine mandatory, medical and religious exceptions will be allowed, along with considerations for reasonable accommodations.

Distribution of the vaccine in the United States is currently controlled and managed by federal and state agencies. The University has offered to support the state of Rhode Island’s distribution efforts, but at this time we do not have a direct role in providing or distributing the vaccine. While that may change as the vaccine becomes more readily available, for the time being we will focus our efforts on education and advocacy to promote vaccine adoption. The wider and faster the vaccine is distributed and utilized in the Providence and Rhode Island communities, the sooner more normal operations will return to our campus.

(3) Education about the Vaccine’s Benefits to Health and Safety

It’s important that all members of our community have a full understanding of the importance of the vaccine in the context of other health protocols, and many of our efforts will focus on education about vaccination.

Two COVID-19 vaccines – one made by Pfizer-BioNTech and one by Moderna – have been authorized for emergency use in the United States by the Food and Drug Administration, and more are in development. Both approved vaccines require two doses, and have been shown to be 95% effective in preventing symptomatic laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 and in preventing severe disease. Key messages for our community include understanding that:

-- Neither vaccine carries live virus, and it is not possible to get COVID-19 from the vaccine.

-- Given the safety and efficacy of the vaccine, members of the University community are strongly encouraged to take advantage of receiving it when they become eligible to do so.

-- The vaccines are authorized for individuals over the age of 16 (Pfizer) and over the age of 18 (Moderna).

-- While receiving the vaccine is an important public health measure, it does not immediately replace the essentials of mask wearing, hand washing, social distancing, staying home when sick and frequent COVID-19 testing.

-- The vaccine, even after the second dose, takes some time to reach maximum efficacy, and it is still unknown if someone who has had the vaccine can still transmit COVID-19 to others.

-- All of Brown’s current public health policies and guidelines will remain in place even as more and more members of our community receive the vaccine.

The University continues to closely monitor developments regarding vaccine availability and distribution, and we are coordinating with state officials on a daily basis. As more information becomes available, we will update the community. The information in this letter will be posted to the healthy.brown.edu website, and the site will become an ongoing resource about protocols and guidance about Brown’s vaccine distribution plans.

Sincerely,

Russell C. Carey
Executive Vice President for Planning and Policy

Vanessa Britto, M.D., M.Sc., FACP
Associate Vice President for Campus Life
Executive Director of Health and Wellness