Implementing the COVID-19 Vaccination Program (7/23/21)

Dear Members of the Yale Community,

We are hearing daily that cases of COVID-19 are rising across the United States, largely due to the highly infectious Delta variant of the virus. Infections and hospitalizations are also beginning to rise in Connecticut and in New Haven. These increases highlight yet again the importance of vaccination, as the majority of infections and hospitalizations occur among those who are not yet vaccinated. I encourage you, if you have not yet done so, to schedule a vaccination appointment, either on-campus at the Rose Center (101 Ashmun St.) or at one of the many sites across the state.

I also want to remind you that all faculty, staff, postdoctoral and postgraduate trainees, and students must submit vaccination documentation or request an exemption from the vaccination requirement by August 1, or, in the case of students, the beginning of their fall semester. These deadlines apply even if individuals will not be returning to campus until later in the fall. More detail about the submission and exemption processes can be found in my message of last week.

I am a faculty or staff member, or a trainee. Will my manager know my vaccination status?

As more faculty, staff, and trainees return to campus in the coming weeks, the university will rely on the partnership of managers, assisted by Health and Safety Leaders, Lead Administrators, and Human Resource Generalists, to effectively implement the COVID-19 Vaccination Program (the Program).

Managers will know the vaccination status of those who report to them in order to carry out the safety protocols associated with the Program. More specifically, managers will:

• ensure that everyone has either submitted documentation or requested an exemption;
• provide release time for required, regular asymptomatic COVID-19 testing for those who are unvaccinated; and
• support adherence to other required health and safety measures.

While managers will know if an individual has requested an exemption, they will not know the details of the request, nor will they ask.

How can I protect my unvaccinated or high-risk family members as I return to campus?

Some of you may have children, other close family members, or friends who either cannot receive a COVID-19 vaccine or who are immunocompromised. You may therefore have concerns about how to support their health as you return to campus or engage in other outside activities.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently issued guidance to address such concerns. This guidance underscores once again that the most important thing you can do to help protect these individuals is to get vaccinated yourself.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, sharing up-to-date and accurate information—about public health conditions, as well as vaccines and other protective measures—has been critical to our efforts to prevent COVID-19 transmission in our campus community. I hope that you will continue to consult university resources that provide such information and share your questions with us. University resources include the Vaccination Program, workplace guidance, and Yale’s COVID-19 website, as well as the Campus COVID Resource Line (203-432-6604).

Once again, thank you for your continued diligence and engagement.

Stephanie S. Spangler, M.D.
Vice Provost for Health Affairs and Academic Integrity
Clinical Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences
University COVID-19 Coordinator