Dear Members of the Monmouth University Community:
I am writing with an update to the University’s policy regarding the COVID-19 vaccine.
The CDC and the FDA recently approved the administration of a new bivalent booster which has demonstrated effectiveness against the Omicron variants now in circulation. Based on current CDC guidelines and the recommendation of the Crisis Management Team, the University will implement the following change to our vaccination policy, effective immediately:
- The bivalent booster is highly recommended, but not required in order to be in compliance with the University’s COVID-19 vaccination policy.
We will continue to require all members of the community to get the COVID-19 vaccine primary series and highly recommend the bivalent booster. We will also continue to allow for individual exemptions on the basis of approved medical or religious reasons. All students and employees will be required to inform the University of their COVID-19 vaccination status on the health portal to ensure that the University can respond appropriately to any outbreak situation on campus, consistent with prevailing CDC guidelines. Please note, if the CDC guidelines change, the University will revisit this policy and may change its requirements.
In order to provide ease of access to the bivalent booster, as well as the COVID-19 vaccine primary series, the University will host vaccination clinics on Thursday, November 10 and Wednesday, December 7 in Anacon Hall. As additional variants continue to surface, and instances of COVID-19 remain prevalent in our university and local communities, we encourage you to protect yourself with the bivalent booster.
Thank you for your continued cooperation as we work to keep our campus healthy and safe. If you have specific questions about our COVID-19 protocols, please contact Health Services at health@monmouth.edu.
Sincerely,
Dr. Patrick F. Leahy
President