COVID-19 Vaccination Requirement

Students

All students planning to be on campus for the fall 2022 semester are required to be up to date with the COVID-19 vaccine (considered 2 weeks after the primary vaccine series and booster, if eligible) and to provide record of their vaccination prior to arrival on campus.

Student proof of vaccination is due August 1st. If you have not done so already, upload the required documentation to Castle Branch as soon as possible for verification and approval. All new students have received information on how to upload proof of vaccination to CastleBranch. Any questions about using CastleBranch should be directed to the company at customerservice@castlebranch.com or 888.723.4263. Review the MCPHS Immunization Policy .

If a student is unable to obtain one or more immunizations due to medical or religious reasons, they may upload the Vaccine Exemption Form to CastleBranch.

If you have questions about CastleBranch or the MCPHS immunization requirements, please contact immunization@mcphs.edu or 617.735.1105. 

Employees

Employees planning to be on campus must be up to date with the COVID-19 Vaccine, the virus that causes COVID-19. This decision was made in July 2021 in accordance with medical and public health experts and alongside many colleges and universities across the region and country requiring employee vaccinations.

COVID-19 Vaccine Booster

Once they are eligible, students and employees are required to receive a vaccine booster shot. Please visit the COVID-19 Vaccine Booster Requirement for more information on who is eligible.

The University accepts all vaccines recognized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) as well as those recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO) EUA. Although the University accepts the latter, please be aware that clinical rotation sites will require students to be immunized by one of the three vaccines accepted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Pfizer, Moderna, or Johnson & Johnson (Janssen).

Please note that you must be fully immunized (two weeks after your last dose) by August 1, 2022: 

FDA EUA Vaccines:

• Johnson & Johnson (Janssen)
• Pfizer
• Moderna

For International Students

If you received one of the current WHO EUA vaccines, you may come to campus, but please note that clinical rotation sites may require your vaccination by one of the FDA EUA vaccines (listed above) prior to your start date.

Please note that you must be fully immunized (two weeks after your final dose) by August 1, 2022:

Current WHO EUA Vaccines:

• Astra-Zeneca/Oxford
• Covishield (Serum Institute of India)
• Sinopharm/BIBPSinovac

If none of the vaccines on the WHO EUA list are available to you, we still recommend that you get vaccinated by whatever vaccine is provided in your country as soon as possible. Please be advised that people in this category will likely be required to be re-vaccinated with an FDA EUA vaccine.

For those in the United States, the CDC website lists resources for finding and making a vaccine appointment. For international students, MCPHS will work with you to obtain a vaccination once you arrive in the United States. If you would like more information regarding the vaccine, you can contact the MCPHS COVID-19 Team for assistance at COVID19team@mcphs.edu.

For vaccine information in multiple languages, please visit this page from the Boston Health Commission.

Download the full and up-to-date MCPHS student immunization policy as a PDF.

If you are experiencing any of the following COVID-19-like symptoms, you must submit your symptoms to the Co Verified app and test.

• Fever or chills
• New cough not related to a chronic condition
• Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
• Sore throat
• Severe fatigue or body aches
• New loss of taste or smell

Remain at home while you are feeling ill. You must have a negative test result and symptom improvement for access to campus.

If you test positive, symptoms submitted to app will count as Day Zero, otherwise date of test will be considered Day Zero.

The University’s COVID-19 Team still monitors transmission, contact tracing and case investigation of all MCPHS affiliates. All cases and exposures must be reported to the COVID-19 Team.

If you test positive for COVID-19 with an outside test, contact the COVID-19 Team and upload your test results to the CoVerified app. Tests performed on campus will sync to the CoVerified app and do not need to be uploaded if using your MCPHS email on Color.

Home tests are not acceptable; documentation for an excused absence requires a lab-performed test.

You must stay home or isolate in place for at least 5 days and isolate from others in your home.  You will not be cleared for access to campus until cleared by the COVID-19 Team.

• Wear a high quality mask (KN95, KF94) if you must be around others at home and in public.
• Stay home and separate from others as much as possible.
• Use a separate bathroom, if possible.
• Don’t share personal household items, like cups, towels, and utensils.
• Monitor your symptoms. If you have trouble breathing, seek emergency medical care immediately.

The University’s COVID-19 Team still monitors transmission, contact tracing and case investigation of all MCPHS affiliates. All cases and exposures must be reported to the COVID-19 Team.

Any individual contacted by the COVID-19 Team identified as a close contact must respond to the COVID-19 Team outreach for campus access.

Close contacts are individuals that have been within 6 feet for 15 minutes or longer to an infectious individual. An infectious period is defined as two days before symptoms started or two days before a positive test date (if have no symptoms) up until cleared from isolation.

Close contacts are no longer required to quarantine, regardless of vaccination status unless symptomatic (see below).  

Close contacts are required to do the following:

• Wear a well-fitted mask (KN95, KF94 or N95) around others inside the household or indoors in public for the 10 full days following an exposure. 
• Monitor for symptoms for 10 full days after the last date of exposure.
• Test 5 days after exposure, but if develop symptoms at any time, they must take a test and stay home until they receive a result. 
• If the result is positive, the individual must isolate.

The University is utilizing Color Health for PCR COVID-19 testing on campus. Testing is currently optional unless you are exhibiting symptoms or have been identified as a close contact.

Pick up a kit at designated Public Safety areas (if you have symptoms you must wear a KN95 mask to pick up a kit).

• Boston- Palace Road Entrance
• Worcester- 25 Foster Street and 10 Lincoln Square Entrances
• Manchester- 22 Fir Street Entrance

Samples are picked up daily at noon, Monday through Friday. Samples are not collected on the weekends or on holidays. Do not place a sample in the drop box after noon on Friday. It will not be viable for the laboratory to process on Monday.

PCR or NAAT testing can also be performed at an outside facility (please upload results to the CoVerified app) if you are unable to come to campus for a Color kit.

Yes, you should get vaccinated even if you have had COVID-19. Experts do not yet know how long you are protected from the virus after recovering from COVID-19, and reinfection is possible.

Students

If a student is unable to obtain one or more immunizations due to medical or religious reasons, they may upload the Vaccine Exemption Form to CastleBranch. Students who are unable to obtain one or more immunizations for medical reasons must also submit a letter (on official letterhead with a signature) from the student’s healthcare provider certifying that the provider has personally examined the student and is of the opinion that the student’s health would be endangered by the immunization. Medical and religious exemptions must be renewed annually at the start of each school year.

Employees

Employees who believe they have a medical condition or sincerely held religious belief that precludes vaccination may submit a request for an exemption from the vaccination requirement. Please contact Human Resources at HR@mcphs.edu for more information. Unvaccinated employees without an approved exemption will not be permitted to work on campus. Medical and religious exemptions must be renewed annually at the start of each school year.

Students

Once you have been fully vaccinated, you must upload proof of your vaccination to CastleBranch, the same confidential health information service MCPHS uses for all student immunization records and compliance. CastleBranch now has COVID-19 vaccine tracking and documentation services for all students to use. All students will be receiving an email with instructions on uploading proof of vaccination to CastleBranch.

Any questions about using CastleBranch should be directed to the company at customerservice@castlebranch.com or 888.723.4263. Read more information regarding the MCPHS Immunization Policy..

Employees

Once you have received all the requisite dose(s) of your chosen vaccine, you must upload your results through CoVerified.