COVID-19 Vaccinations
On this page you will find general information about COVID vaccines, as well as information to help you determine your eligibility to receive a vaccine, and where to receive a vaccine if you’re eligible, based on the county in which you reside.
Current status
Updated as of 12/16/21
- Stanford Health Care (SHC) testing and vaccination sites: For added convenience, any employee or affiliate of Stanford University, including spouses, children and retirees can access COVID-19 testing, including rapid testing, and COVID-19 vaccinations at these Stanford Health Care locations.
- Compliance with new federal vaccination requirement as announced on Oct. 6
- Stanford already requires all faculty, staff, postdoctoral scholars and students (undergraduate, graduate and professional students) coming on-site to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19.
- As a result of the Sept. 9 th executive order, this expanded requirement will apply to all university employees, including those working remotely in the United States, and applicable subcontractors.
- Proof of vaccination status must be uploaded to Health Check by Jan. 4, 2022. This deadline has been extended from December 8, 2021, to January 4, 2022, consistent with recent guidance from the federal government.Compliance with the federal mandate aligns our policies, which also require vaccination and testing for students.
- This federal mandate allows an exemption only for medical or religious accommodation. Details regarding the medical and religious accommodation request criteria and process are available on Cardinal at Work.
- This requirement is only for the initial course of vaccinations, not boosters. Fully vaccinated individuals who have uploaded documentation should not upload a new version of their documentation if they subsequently receive a booster.
- Individuals are considered “fully vaccinated” two weeks after completing the second dose of a two-dose COVID vaccine (e.g., Pfizer or Moderna) or two weeks after receiving a single dose of one-dose vaccine (e.g., Johnson & Johnson/Janssen).
- Questions about the new requirement may be directed to University Human Resources at vphumanresources@stanford.edu.
- Vaccination requirements for Fall
- All faculty, staff, postdoctoral scholars and students (undergraduate, graduate and professional students) coming to campus are required to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19.
- Faculty, staff and postdoctoral scholars must confirm vaccination status and upload vaccination documentation, including manufacturer and vaccination dates in Health Check.
- Students must upload vaccination documentation in the VadenPatient portal.
Please note: No group or unit should create vaccination requirements separate from or more restrictive than university requirements.
- In addition to vaccination requirements, all individuals must follow current face covering guidelines and participate in regular surveillance testing.
- Read more details on the testing requirements for faculty, staff and postdocs.
- Read more details on student testing requirements.
- All faculty, staff, postdoctoral scholars and students (undergraduate, graduate and professional students) coming to campus are required to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19.
- Booster requirement for students
- Students are strongly encouraged to obtain a vaccine booster, if eligible, prior to returning to campus for the winter quarter. And, all eligible students will be required to provide documentation of a booster, unless they have a medical or religious exemption, by Jan. 31, 2022. Read more here.
Resources
- Sign up for COVID-19 vaccine eligibility updates from the State of California at https://myturn.ca.gov/.
- VaccineFinder is a web tool from the CDC, Boston Children’s Hospital, and Castlight Health that can help identify providers who offer COVID-19 vaccines locally.
- COVID-19 Vaccine Spotter is a tool to help track down COVID-19 vaccine appointment openings at your state’s pharmacies. Updated every minute.
- A number of area pharmacies now offer first and second dose vaccinations to eligible groups, with CVS, RiteAid, Safeway/Albertsons and Walgreens scheduling locally.
- In addition to other eligible populations, Lucille Packard Children’s Hospital provides COVID vaccinations to individuals aged 16 and 17 with severe health conditions.
- The Telegram App’s BayAreaVaccineNotification channel can help you find Bay Area COVID vaccine appointments in real time. This app is available for both iphone and Android users. Here are detailed instructions on accessing the channel.
- Stanford Transportation has collected information about transportation options to vaccination sites, for those who may not have access to their own personal vehicles.
What should I know about COVID-19 vaccines?
Research indicates that COVID-19 vaccines are effective at keeping you from getting COVID-19. There is also evidence that COVID-19 vaccines keep you from getting seriously ill, even if you do get COVID-19.
COVID-19 is a new disease with new vaccines, so information is rapidly emerging about how vaccines can help us stop the pandemic. Please refer to this CDC page for information as it becomes available.
To assist with informing the public on the latest COVID-19 information, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), has created the Coronavirus Rumor Control webpage. This webpage addresses common misconceptions and rumors concerning the ongoing pandemic.
Am I eligible for the COVID vaccine?
In California, all individuals age 12 and older are eligible to be vaccinated.
The CDC recommends that people aged 65 years and older, residents in long-term care settings, and people aged 50–64 years with underlying medical conditions should receive a booster shot of Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 Vaccine at least 6 months after completing their Pfizer-BioNTech primary series. Other groups may receive a booster shot based on their individual risk and benefit. Learn more.
Where can I get the COVID vaccine?
The vaccination landscape is changing rapidly, and there are an increasing number of sites available for vaccination, including government-run locations, healthcare organizations, and some retail pharmacies.
For your convenience, any employee or affiliate of Stanford University, including spouses, children and retirees can access COVID-19 testing, including rapid testing, and COVID-19 vaccinations at these Stanford Health Care locations.
While Stanford Hospital, as well as other large healthcare providers such as Sutter and Kaiser, are actively providing COVID vaccination, Stanford University has not received any vaccine doses for distribution.
Each county has a slightly different approach in meeting state guidelines, based upon their infrastructure and supply. Please review the information below, understanding that vaccination eligibility and availability may slightly differ between counties and providers.
Alameda County
Click here to see a list of healthcare organizations and providers providing COVID-19 vaccinations in Alameda County.
Contra Costa County
Individuals who are eligible to be vaccinated are encouraged to contact their healthcare provider to make an appointment. Please be advised that providers are frequently updating eligibility criteria, based on capacity and vaccine availability.
Click here to see a list of healthcare organizations and providers providing COVID-19 vaccinations in Contra Costa County.
San Francisco County
Click here to see a list of healthcare organizations and providers providing COVID-19 vaccinations in San Francisco County.
San Mateo County
For uninsured residents, health insurance is not required to receive the vaccine.
- For San Mateo County residents without health insurance but who do have a health care provider (including patients at clinics at San Mateo Medical Center), please contact your healthcare provider.
- For San Mateo County residents who do not have a provider and would like to enroll in a health plan, please click here. Health insurance is available regardless of immigration status, through a combination of Federal, State, and County programs. Call (650) 616-2002 to speak to an enrollment counselor.
Click here to see a list of healthcare organizations and providers providing COVID-19 vaccinations in San Mateo County.
Santa Clara County
Click here to see a list of healthcare organizations and providers providing COVID-19 vaccinations in Santa Clara County.
Santa Cruz County
Click here to see a list of healthcare organizations and providers providing COVID-19 vaccinations in Santa Cruz County.