Update on COVID-19 vaccination guidelines
Bottom Line Up Front
- Effective May 12, 2023, Wake Forest will strongly recommend that all faculty, staff and students remain up to date with COVID-19 vaccines, including variant-updated boosters.
- The University will no longer require proof of COVID-19 vaccination status.
- The deadline for all incoming students to submit the required health history and immunization documentation is July 1. The forms can be accessed in their Student Health Portal.
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has announced that the federal Public Health Emergency for COVID-19 will expire on May 11, 2023. This follows the rescission of the State of North Carolina’s public health emergency declaration last year.
Given this context, the Campus Health Committee has consulted with medical experts, researched institutional peer approaches, and reviewed CDC guidance. As a result, the Campus Health Committee reports the following update to Wake Forest’s COVID-19 vaccination policy:
Effective May 12, 2023, Wake Forest will strongly recommend that all faculty, staff and students remain up to date with COVID-19 vaccines, including variant-updated boosters, and the University will no longer require proof of COVID-19 vaccination status except for all medical and healthcare staff.
A complete COVID-19 vaccination series includes the minimum recommended dose plus one variant-updated booster. The University strongly recommends that all community members receive variant-updated boosters for COVID-19 each year. COVID-19 vaccine boosters are widely available in the community.
New employees and new students will be asked to voluntarily provide their vaccine status to assist with future planning and potential COVID-19 mitigation efforts, should they be needed. However, COVID-19 vaccine status will not be a condition of enrollment or employment. Incoming students must meet other vaccine requirements (such as those mandated by the state of North Carolina). The deadline for new students to complete the required health history and immunization documentation is July 1. The forms can be accessed in the Student Health Portal.
Wake Forest is a highly residential community where we live, work and learn together. Vaccines have played an essential role in the University’s ability to maintain in-person operations throughout fluctuations in health conditions elsewhere. Moving forward, our efforts to remain vaccinated will not only help us to remain healthy but will help our entire community be able to thrive. COVID vaccination with boosting remains very effective in preventing serious infection or hospitalization and is the best way to prevent illness and its associated 5-7 day isolation from class and campus activities.
As we have done throughout the pandemic, the University will continue to monitor information from the North Carolina Department of Public Health and the CDC and consult with local public health experts in order to make decisions that support our community’s wellbeing, including updating policies and protocols as our circumstances warrant. Wake Forest will also continue to provide influenza vaccinations on campus; when the COVID-19 vaccine receives full FDA approval, we intend to also make it available on campus to faculty, staff, and students.
We are fortunate that Wake Forest faculty, staff, and students continue to be attentive to public health guidance and that a high percentage are up to date with vaccines. Thank you for your commitment to campus health and wellbeing.
– Campus Health Committee, chaired by Warrenetta Mann, Assistant Vice President for Health and Wellbeing