Fall vaccination policy for faculty, staff, postdocs

Dear Stanford community,

Thank you for all of your efforts to advance Stanford’s mission over the past year – whether you have been away from campus, or in our changed environment on campus.

We recently announced plans to require all undergraduate, graduate and professional students to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 this fall. We are writing now to advise you of additional steps we are taking to protect one another’s health as we prepare for fall quarter, when we look forward to being together once again at Stanford.

Vaccination requirement

All faculty, staff and postdoctoral scholars coming to campus this fall will be required to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19. This requirement will apply to those at Stanford locations in Santa Clara and San Mateo counties, including the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, as well as SAL3 in Livermore and Hopkins Marine Station.

This requirement is based on our COVID-19 Vaccine Governance Committee’s review of conditions and developments around vaccination against the virus. In addition, county, state and national public health officials are encouraging vaccinations, and we are seeing an increase in supplies of vaccine and a greater availability of vaccination appointments. Currently, Stanford Health Care has vaccines available and no appointments are necessary.

We understand that some faculty, staff and postdoctoral scholars will choose not to obtain vaccines for medical, religious or other reasons. We also understand that some may choose not to disclose their vaccine status. Faculty, staff and postdoctoral scholars who are not fully vaccinated or who do not disclose their vaccination status will be required to continue regular COVID-19 testing and, possibly, additional requirements aimed at keeping our community safe. Regular testing will not be required for those who have provided proof they are fully vaccinated.

We will be back in touch with additional guidance, including a process for individuals to verify their vaccination status and a specific effective date that will provide time for people to become fully vaccinated.

Health Check question and return from travel

Also, beginning soon, faculty, staff, students and postdoctoral scholars will be given the opportunity to provide their vaccination status on Health Check. Responding to this question is voluntary at this time.

Compiling this data on vaccine status will help us begin to learn the vaccination rate among our community and inform decisions to adjust our policies while continuing to mitigate COVID-19 risks. For example, the university’s travel policy is being adjusted: Fully vaccinated individuals who have traveled more than 150 miles beyond Santa Clara or San Mateo counties will no longer be required to receive a negative COVID-19 test or undergo a waiting period before returning to campus. (Students should continue participating in regular testing upon returning from travel.)

Individuals who disclose on Health Check that they have been vaccinated will be asked to provide details, including dates and the particular vaccine they received. An additional set of FAQs will be available soon on the Health Check website to assist users as they respond to the question.

Vaccines are crucial to having a safe, healthy environment at Stanford and in our broader community, and we hope you will get a vaccine when you are able to do so.

Keep in mind that the virus, including highly transmissible variants, remains with us today. So, whatever your vaccine status, please continue following the health and safety protocols that are helping us navigate the pandemic. We look forward to seeing you on campus this fall!

Sincerely,
Persis Drell
Provost

Lloyd Minor, M.D.
Dean, School of Medicine

Russell Furr
Associate Vice Provost, Environmental Health & Safety