Vaccination Requirement FAQs
Does Northwestern require students or employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19?
Northwestern will require COVID-19 vaccination for all students (including exchange or visiting students) in on-campus programs (including the Evanston, Chicago, Qatar, Washington, D.C. or San Francisco campuses) for the 2021-22 academic year. Announcing this requirement in May gives students the opportunity to complete their vaccination before they leave Illinois at the end of the Spring Term. At this time, faculty and staff (including interns and post-docs) are not required to be vaccinated, but are strongly encouraged to get vaccinated. There are no current vaccination requirements for contractors or other visitors (including visiting scholars or visiting researchers).
Why will Northwestern require students to be vaccinated beginning in Fall 2021?
Northwestern is requiring COVID-19 vaccination following recommendations from its medical and public health partners. Ensuring students are vaccinated will best allow Northwestern to resume normal operations on campus in the Fall and support in-person classes and student activities. Northwestern’s requirement will support the public health goals of the State of Illinois to vaccinate as many people as possible. To date, the vast majority of COVID-19 transmission in the Northwestern community is among students.
Which vaccines are approved to meet Northwestern’s requirement?
At this time, any vaccine authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or the World Health Organization (WHO) will satisfy Northwestern’s vaccine requirement. That includes vaccines developed by Pfizer, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson, AstraZeneca, Sinopharm and Covishield.
How can students sign up to receive a vaccine?
Students who still want a vaccination are encouraged to fill out this simple form, and the University’s vaccination team will contact you with options. Students and staff also may email vaccine@northwestern.edu with questions about scheduling a vaccine appointment.
Can students choose which vaccine to receive on campus?
Northwestern doesn’t control which types of vaccines it receives from the State of Illinois. Students who have a preference for a vaccine not offered by Northwestern will need to arrange for vaccinations elsewhere.
How can students report their vaccination status?
Northwestern will provide information about how to share vaccination status in June.
Do students who already submitted a voluntary vaccination self-disclosure need to complete another vaccination report?
Yes, students will need to complete this additional process, which will require documentation of vaccination status.
What is the deadline for students to report their vaccination status?
Students must have their vaccination or exception on record in order to register for classes. Registration Fall programs generally takes place mid-July to mid-August. Fall Quarter registration for new Evanston students begins in early September. Students are encouraged to receive a vaccination and provide documentation as soon as they are able. In June, students will receive more details about how and when to submit proof of vaccination or request an exception. Students not able to meet the requirement prior to arriving at Northwestern (such as international students) will need to apply for an initial exception in order to be able to register for classes.
Can students seek an exception to the vaccination requirement?
Yes. Information about seeking an exception to the vaccination requirement, including for medical or religious reasons, will be made available in June. Students receiving a vaccination exception will be required to participate in increased levels of COVID-19 testing while they are on campus. Please note, students who wish to seek an exception to the vaccine requirement due to emergency-use authorization status may do so. However, students who receive an exception related to emergency-use authorization status must be vaccinated once full FDA approval is received for any COVID-19 vaccine, unless they apply for and receive another exception at the time of full FDA approval.
Are students who live and take classes in a state that doesn’t allow for vaccine requirements required to get the vaccine?
Students who are taking classes exclusively in a state that prohibits vaccine requirements and/or prohibits educational institutions from asking for proof of COVID-19 vaccination are not required to be vaccinated. Students in this situation should seek an exception through the process noted above. Northwestern still strongly encourages vaccination, and there may be other requirements to access campus in the Fall.
What are the approved medical reasons to seek an exemption?
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has provided information on medical contraindications related to COVID-19 vaccines. Your personal medical provider should help determine whether you have a medical reason to not be vaccinated.
What happens if students don’t comply with the vaccine requirement?
Students who have not been fully vaccinated or have not received an exception will not be able to register for Fall classes.
Will vaccinated students still need to be tested on a regular basis in the Fall? What about wearing masks or social distancing?
At this time, we expect to significantly reduce asymptomatic surveillance testing for those who are vaccinated. More information on these topics will be provided as public health guidance evolves.
Do students need to be vaccinated if they don’t live in the residence halls and don’t plan to socialize with other students?
Yes, any student in an on-campus program and those who plan to access Northwestern’s campuses for any reason must be vaccinated.
Are students enrolled in online-only programs required to be vaccinated?
Students enrolled in online-only programs and not accessing campus for any reason will be exempted from the vaccination requirement. More information on this exemption will be communicated in June.
Do students need to be vaccinated if they have already been diagnosed with COVID-19? What happens if someone contracts COVID-19 too closely to the deadline to get vaccinated before arriving on campus?
Yes, all students are required to be vaccinated, even if they have already had COVID-19. Students are encouraged get vaccinated as soon as possible to avoid this situation. Students who are not able to meet the vaccination requirement due to a recent COVID diagnosis will be required to get vaccinated on campus or elsewhere as soon as they have met the appropriate window of time post-diagnosis.
If a student is not able to receive an approved vaccine before arriving on campus, can they be vaccinated upon arrival?
Yes. Students needing vaccination when they arrive will have access at Northwestern’s Health Service. Students can receive the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which will meet the vaccination requirement immediately. Students who receive a two-dose vaccine upon arrival will not be considered fully vaccinated until they complete the full vaccine regime, and may have additional requirements during that time (such as increased testing).
Does the vaccine requirement apply to international students?
Yes. Students, including international students, must receive a vaccine authorized by the FDA or the WHO.
What if a student received a vaccine not approved by the FDA or WHO?
The CDC has stated: “People who completed or partially completed a COVID-19 vaccine series with a vaccine that is not authorized by FDA or not authorized for emergency use by WHO may be offered an FDA-authorized COVID-19 vaccine series.” International students who have concerns about receiving an FDA- or WHO-approved vaccine after previously receiving a non-approved vaccine should consult with their own health care provider and, if needed, seek an exception through the process noted above.
Should international students who have been vaccinated by a non-approved vaccine disclose that information?
International students may disclose this but will still need to submit another record with a vaccine that meets the Northwestern requirement.
Will vaccination records that are in a language other than English satisfy documentation requirements?
If possible, Northwestern requests the documentation is uploaded in English. If that is not possible, it may take additional time to validate documentation.