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Dear Faculty and Staff:

As we prepare for the start of the spring semester, I am writing today to remind you of the University’s vaccine requirements and how we are supporting our employees in achieving a healthy and safe environment through completion of the flu, COVID and booster vaccine requirements.

The original deadline to comply with the requirement for both the COVID booster shot and flu vaccine was Jan. 24. We are extending that deadline to Jan. 31 to ensure our employees have time to receive these vaccinations, submit the accompanying documentation and complete attestation. In addition, as described below, we are making drop-in opportunities available to allow you to get support completing the vaccine documentation process in person.

Yesterday, the Supreme Court struck down a federal COVID vaccine mandate under the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Regardless of the status of any federal vaccine mandate, as a private employer, we have the latitude to require vaccinations. With guidance from public health experts, we believe broad vaccination is critical to keeping our community safe. Therefore, we will continue to mandate vaccines and boosters for our students, faculty and staff, except for those with medical or religious exemptions. Our commitment to the health and well-being of our community remains unchanged.

I urge you to pay close attention to the following details to ensure you are complying with these requirements:

• COVID Vaccine and Booster Required by Jan. 31, 2022
• Flu Vaccine Required by Jan. 31, 2022
• Vaccine Documentation Drop-Ins

COVID Vaccine and Booster Required by Jan. 31, 2022

As first shared with our community in December 2021, ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ will require all students, faculty and staff who routinely access or may be required to access any ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ campus location or facility (to include Washington, D.C., New York City and Los Angeles locations) to receive a booster shot (when eligible to do so) and submit documented proof of vaccination status (including the booster shot) or information supporting their application for a medical or religious exemption.

If you are not yet eligible to receive a booster, please plan to do so as soon as you become eligible, per the following guidelines:

• Five months after receiving the second dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccination;
• Two months after receiving the Janssen/Johnson & Johnson vaccination; or
• Individuals who previously received other World Health Organization-approved vaccinations should receive a Pfizer booster dose if they received their initial vaccine series at least six months ago, in accordance with .

Even if you are not yet eligible to receive the booster, you are required to submit proof of vaccination or documentation supporting your application for medical or religious exemption. This can be completed by visiting MySlice. For detailed instructions for submitting your documentation, please visit the . If you have any difficulty submitting your documentation, please contact your home department IT staff. If you’re not sure who to contact, ask your supervisor or contact the ITS Help Desk at 315.443.2677 or by email at help@syr.edu.

Flu Vaccine Required by Jan. 31, 2022

The University is once again requiring all students, faculty and staff who routinely access or may be required to access any ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ campus location or facility (to include Washington, D.C., New York City and Los Angeles) to have a flu vaccination, except those with medical or religious exemptions. If you have not yet had the opportunity to do so, please visit MySlice to complete your flu vaccination attestation.

For faculty and staff who have not yet received their flu vaccination, we urge you to make an appointment as soon as possible with your health care provider or a local pharmacy. The flu vaccination remains widely available. Once vaccinated, please log in to MySlice and complete the attestation by clicking Employee Resources and then Flu Vaccine Status.

Please note, faculty and staff who fail to comply with both the flu vaccine and COVID vaccine requirements by Jan. 31, 2022, will face temporary suspension from their employment at the University, and it could become permanent if the individual does not comply.

Vaccine Documentation Drop-Ins

We have heard from some employees who are experiencing challenges uploading their COVID vaccine and booster documentation and we are providing additional resources. To support our faculty and staff, we are holding vaccine documentation drop-in opportunities. Employees should bring with them their ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ I.D. card and vaccine and booster documentation (preferably as a picture on your phone) showing the dates of each of their doses. Staff will be on hand to assist with the process. Drop in opportunities will occur on the following dates:

• Friday, Jan. 21, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. at the Life Sciences Complex Atrium
• Friday, Jan. 28, 9 a.m.-noon at the Goldstein Auditorium in Schine Student Center

Vaccination continues to provide the best protection against illness and represents a key component of our public health strategy. I also encourage you to continue testing regularly by . Safeguarding the health and wellness of our campus community and our neighbors remains our priority.

Thank you for assisting in our efforts to maintain a healthy and safe community.

Sincerely,

Andrew R. Gordon
Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resource Officer