Dear Brown Community Members,

Last spring we announced that COVID-19 vaccinations would be mandatory for all students and employees for the 2021-22 academic year, and in December we announced that a booster shot was additionally required. The Brown community’s compliance with those requirements has been essential to maintaining in-person academic and administrative activities on campus throughout this year. As we look forward to the 2022-23 academic year, the requirement that all employees and students remain up to date with their COVID-19 vaccinations will remain in place. Continuing students and current employees who have already documented their vaccination status do not need to do anything further; newly admitted students and new employees are required to upload their vaccination cards when they join the Brown community and will be instructed on how to do so by University Health Services (students) and University Human Resources (employees). If you have already received an approved medical or religious exemption from the COVID-19 vaccine from University Health Services or University Human Resources, you will continue to be exempt from this requirement. If you have not previously received an exemption and wish to request one, information regarding how to do so is available on the COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions page of the Healthy Brown website:

https://healthy.brown.edu/vaccinations/faq

Following CDC guidance, a person is up to date with their COVID-19 vaccination if they have received all recommended doses in the primary series and one booster when eligible. Getting a second booster is not necessary to be considered up to date at this time. The CDC has said that adults who are 50 years of age and older can choose to receive a second booster at least four months after their first booster — we encourage members of the Brown community in this age group to consult with their primary health care provider in determining if a second booster is right for them. If you do receive a second booster, it is not necessary to submit an updated vaccination card (if that changes during the course of the year we will notify community members accordingly). More information from the CDC regarding staying up to date with your COVID-19 vaccines can be found on this CDC webpage:

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/stay-up-to-date.html

Sincerely,

Russell C. Carey
Executive Vice President, Planning and Policy