The health and safety of the campus community has been and will continue to be the university’s highest priority.
Part of meeting that responsibility involves ensuring that as many members of the campus community as possible have received all of the COVID-19 vaccine and at least one booster dose.
To that end, Case Western Reserve requires all faculty, staff and students to do one of the following:
- submit proof of vaccination(s), including at least one booster dose, or
- notify the university that you have not been able to access an eligible vaccine(s) and/or booster(s) but wish to receive one/them, or
- apply for a medical or religious exception.
The on-campus vaccination clinic schedule is available on this calendar. Pharmacies across the country also are providing free booster doses.
Frequently Asked Questions About Booster Requirements
General Questions
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data indicate that fully vaccinated individuals who have not yet received a booster dose are more than twice as likely to contract COVID-19 than those who have received a booster. The university is requiring the booster to protect the health and well-being of the campus community.
You are permitted to delay getting a booster until 90 days from the date that you tested positive, though we and the CDC recommend that you get your booster as soon as you complete your isolation period.
Yes. If you are more than 90 days from your positive test, you are required to get a booster.
If you had a positive test result through CWRU or have already communicated with Health Services about a positive test, you do not need to do anything. As noted, it is recommended that you get your booster as soon as you have completed isolation. However, you will be compliant with the booster requirement until 90 days from your positive test.
If Health Services is NOT aware of your positive test, please follow these steps to submit a copy of your off-campus test results. Please note, Health Services will be in contact if additional information is needed, but, due to current staffing limitations, it may take some time to verify the result. Note: Antibody tests will NOT be accepted as proof of infection.
If you do not have proof of your positive test (lab result from outside lab, a picture of the positive rapid antigen card), please email covidvaccine@case.edu to report the date of your positive test. Staff from Health Services will be in contact with you to discuss additional details.
If you have a positive test and need medical assistance, students may call 216.368.2450. Faculty and staff should call their primary medical provider. Information on the University Health & Counseling Services site details the procedure for individuals who test positive during any holiday breaks.
If you are not eligible to get a booster, you are in compliance with the new requirement.
Once you become eligible, you will have two weeks from that date to provide documentation of your booster through myhealthconnect.case.edu.
Eligibility criteria can be found on the CDC website.
If you received an additional primary dose because you are immunocompromised or have another medical condition for which the additional dose is recommended, you should receive a booster per CDC guidelines.
International Vaccines
Individuals who have received vaccines outside the U.S. should visit the CDC website for the most up-to-date guidance.
Compliance Process
No, if you received your booster at CWRU, you do not need to take additional action.
Please visit the Booster Verification page on the COVID-19 website.
No. Unless you received an error message on the screen after your upload, you should presume that your upload was successful. If any issues exist, health services will contact you.
No. Unless you received an error message on the screen after your upload, you should presume that your upload was successful. If any issues exist, health services will contact you.
Medical Questions Relating to Boosters
Please review Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance to assess which booster is most appropriate for you. Students with questions may email covidvaccine@case.edu. Faculty and staff with questions should directly consult their medical providers. Please note that staff at the CWRU vaccine clinics will not be able to provide guidance about which vaccine to receive.
Possibly. According to the CDC, side effects experienced after booster shots are similar to those reported after initial vaccination. The most common side effects are injection-site pain, fatigue, and headache, usually occurring one day after vaccination.
Faculty and staff should speak with their primary care providers regarding their reaction to the second dose of their COVID-19 vaccination; if the provider considers the reaction problematic enough that an exception is warranted, you may apply for a medical exemption from the Office of Equity and provide appropriate documentation.
If you are a student, you may speak with your primary care provider or contact University Health Services regarding your reaction; again, if the provider considers the reaction problematic enough that an exception is warranted, you may apply for a medical exemption from the Office of Disability Resources and provide appropriate documentation.
Exemption Questions
All individuals who received accommodations prior to the end of the Spring 2022 semester must apply for a new exemption for the 2022-23 academic year.
Yes. All applications for exemptions and accommodations will be reviewed carefully.
If you are a student, follow the instructions on the Office of Disability Resources website.
If you are a faculty or staff member, please complete the medical form from the Office of Equity. Instructions are available on its COVID-19 accommodations page.
Students, staff, and faculty should complete the religious accommodation request form from the Office of Equity.
Other
The university is providing staff members up to three days paid of sick time if they experience vaccine side effects that require them to miss work.
The information requested for your vaccination goes into University Health Services electronic medical record software, which is designed to store and protect private information.
In addition, the university considers this information ‘restricted’ per our classification system. As a result, it is subject to our university’s most stringent security standards—you can read details on University Technology's website.
Finally, this information is maintained entirely separately from student records, as well as employee files.
If you received your vaccine in Ohio, please call University Health Services at 216.368.2450 during clinic hours (Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. ET) for assistance. We can obtain your official vaccination record from the state and enter the information within the vaccine module.
If you received your vaccine outside Ohio, please contact your state’s department of health to get an official vaccination record or a new card. Either can be submitted via our secure health record system. You can find detailed instructions on our verification page.