College of Medicine employees must be fully vaccinated by Dec. 8 or file for an accommodation by Nov. 8

In compliance with President Joe Biden’s COVID-19 Action Plan mandating vaccination as a condition of employment for federal contractors, the College of Medicine will require all employees to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or file a valid request for a medical or religious accommodation.

Penn State announced its mandate in University Park Oct. 12 followed by the expansion to six more campuses as of Oct. 19. It has become evident that the College of Medicine must align with Penn State in its decision to require full vaccinations where work is being conducted under federal contracts. The vaccine requirement applies to all employees, including part-time faculty, staff and technical service workers, even if they are working remotely. This requirement also applies to graduate students supported on wage payroll, as well as all students supported on graduate assistantships.

What does this federal mandate mean?

All College of Medicine employees are required to become fully vaccinated against COVID-19 to continue their relationship with Penn State. At this time, a booster is not required to be considered fully vaccinated.

When do employees need to start the vaccination process?

The College of Medicine must be able to report to the federal government that as of Wednesday, Dec. 8, we are complying with its mandate. Therefore, all employees must be fully vaccinated by that date. Individuals are considered to be fully vaccinated two weeks after a single dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine or two weeks after the second dose of the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine. Employees who are not yet vaccinated should refer to the timeline below to assure they will be fully vaccinated by Dec. 8.

• Pfizer – The Pfizer vaccine doses are given 21 days apart, therefore the first Pfizer dose must be given by Wednesday, Nov. 3 and the second dose by Wednesday, Nov. 24.
• Johnson & Johnson – The Johnson & Johnson vaccine is a one-time vaccination and would require the one dose no later than Nov.  24.
• Moderna – The Moderna doses are given 28 days apart, therefore the first dose would have been needed by Oct. 27 to meet the Dec. 8 deadline. For this reason, it would be advisable to seek a location that offers Pfizer or Johnson & Johnson at this time.

Where can employees who now want to be vaccinated get a first dose?

Penn State Health is offering employees additional first-dose clinics, with registration available via this SignUp Genius link. These clinics will be available for College of Medicine employees. Additionally, vaccination sites are available at pharmacies throughout the region. Visit vaccines.gov to find a convenient location.

Is anyone exempt from receiving the vaccine?

Under the umbrella of the executive order, all Penn State employees will need to be vaccinated unless they are approved for a medical or religious accommodation. Information on the accommodation request process for faculty and staff is available on the Vaccine Information page.

What happens if an employee chooses not to comply with the vaccination mandate?

Procedures, including potential employment sanctions, are in place for employees who violate University policies intended to comply with federal requirements. More information will be forthcoming regarding disciplinary action.

Visit the entire article complete with FAQs here. Managers can help answer additional questions employees may have.

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