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Beginning in the Fall 2021 academic term, all students, faculty, and staff at Northeastern’s U.S. campuses will be expected to submit verification of vaccination. Check this page frequently for everything you need to know about Northeastern’s vaccination requirement, including up-to-date university messages and FAQs.
On April 6th, Northeastern became one of the nation’s first universities to require that all students be vaccinated before returning to campus for the fall term. Similarly, to further promote the health and wellbeing of the university community, the university encouraged all faculty and staff to get vaccinated as soon as they became eligible.
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Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Northeastern has come together to take every possible step for our community’s health and safety—from wearing masks to healthy distancing to regular COVID-19 testing. Today, I write to announce a new health and safety measure that will help us achieve the full return to campus activities we are planning this fall. Beginning in the fall academic term, all students attending Northeastern University’s campuses will be expected to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by the first day of classes.
On January 5, Northeastern was the first university in Massachusetts to begin vaccinating its community. However, due to limited federal supply, in late February the state of Massachusetts decided to prioritize vaccine distribution to its mass vaccination sites and is no longer providing vaccine to higher education institutions. If you are eligible for vaccination now under the state’s three-phased approach, we recommend that you schedule your vaccination at one of the sites listed on mass.gov/vaccine.
Beginning in the fall academic term, students attending or visiting Northeastern University’s U.S. campuses will be expected to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by the first day of classes. Faculty and staff who work at one of Northeastern University’s U.S. campuses are expected to submit verification of vaccination no later than September 8th. Students, faculty, and staff should complete the Vaccine Verification form to submit their proof of immunization.
Yes. Our goal is to do our part in managing overall community spread, not just protect those coming to our campuses. We can do this by having all faculty and staff vaccinated, unless mandating is prohibited by local or state law, regardless of whether they are on campus.
Yes, we believe our vaccination requirement for employees is consistent with current law and is supported by the recent guidance from the EEOC and the DOJ Office of Legal Counsel. The health and wellbeing of our community is what drives our decisions. The overall scientific evidence overwhelmingly supports widespread vaccination.
The health and wellbeing of our community is what drives our decisions. We believe that for students in a close-knit, residential environment vaccination is essential. The overall scientific evidence overwhelmingly supports widespread vaccination. We believe our vaccination requirement is consistent with current law.
We are requiring the COVID-19 vaccine for the same reason that students are required to be vaccinated for other communicable diseases like Measles or Meningitis—to protect the community. At this point, vaccination is proving to be the best way to control and ultimately defeat the COVID-19 pandemic. It is the best tool we have for promoting the safety and wellbeing of our students, faculty, and staff.
Due to local regulations, vaccines aren’t currently required for students, faculty, and staff located at our Canadian or United Kingdom campuses. However, we strongly encourage every member of the Northeastern community to get the vaccine as soon as it becomes available to them.
All students are expected to arrive on campus in September fully vaccinated, unless they have a medical or religious exemption. The university is planning to return to a normal, in-person fall semester with in-person classes and regular campus activities.
Students, faculty, and staff should complete the Vaccine Verification form to submit their proof of immunization.
Yes. Students who submitted their vaccine documentation to University Health and Counseling Services or to the university’s contact tracing team still need to complete the Vaccine Verification form to submit their proof of immunization.
Yes. Faculty or staff who have submitted the Self-Report Vaccination Form are required to submit the information again using the Vaccine Verification form.
Yes. Northeastern community members may request religious and medical exemptions to the policy. Students, faculty, and staff should complete the Vaccine Verification form to request an exemption.
Based on current CDC and Massachusetts guidelines, unvaccinated people will need to continue wearing a face mask or face covering indoors, practice healthy distancing, and participate in required testing. Students and employees who have received a vaccination exemption will be able to live, teach, and work on campus, attend classes in person, and participate in any campus activity available to the rest of the university community.
Students should complete the Vaccine Verification form and indicate they are having difficulties accessing the vaccine. Northeastern will continue to carefully monitor vaccine access and supply across our global network locations, especially as we approach the start of the fall term. We strongly encourage all members of the Northeastern community to get the vaccine as soon
as it becomes available to them. For international students who may have limited access to the vaccine, Northeastern will assist you in getting the vaccine soon after your arr
Students, faculty, and staff will need to get a vaccine approved in the United States or a vaccine listed for emergency use by the World Health Organization (WHO). As of July 12, WHO lists the Pfizer/BioNTech, Astrazeneca-SK Bio, Covishield, Serum Institute of India, Astra Zeneca EU, Janssen, Moderna, Sinopharm, and Sinovac vaccines for emergency use.
Students who have received a vaccine that is not approved in the United States or a vaccine listed for emergency use by WHO should still use the Vaccine Verification form to upload documentation for the vaccine they received. Based on new CDC guidance on revaccination, Northeastern will require students to be revaccinated with a WHO-approved vaccine if they received a vaccine not approved by WHO.
People in Massachusetts should visit vaxfinder.mass.gov to find a location that administers the COVID-19 vaccine and to schedule an appointment. Mass.gov also provides vaccine information on how to get vaccinated, how to prepare for an appointment, and how to schedule a second dose.
Please see the vaccine FAQs on the Northeastern Bay area website. Visit the following websites for more information:
Please see the vaccine FAQs on the Northeastern Seattle website. Visit Washington State Department of Health for more information on the vaccine distribution timeline and for the vaccine locator.
Please see the vaccine FAQs on the Charlotte website. Visit the NCDHHS Vaccine Website for more information on the vaccine distribution timeline and the Mecklenburg County Vaccination Page for information on local distribution. We encourage you to start by registering an account with Atrium, Novant, or Mecklenburg County Health Department to easily schedule an appointment when your group becomes available.
Although COVID-19 vaccination isn’t currently required for students, faculty, or staff located in Toronto, you can find more information on Ontario’s COVID-19 vaccine website. The province has a three-phased vaccination plan with vaccines available to the general public beginning in July 2021. Visit this page to book a vaccine if you are eligible.
Although COVID-19 vaccination isn’t currently required for students, faculty, and staff located in Vancouver, you can find more information on British Columbia’s COVID-19 vaccine website. The province has a four-phase vaccination plan with vaccines available to the general public beginning in April through June 2021. Read more about eligibility and how to register for the vaccine.
You can find more information on Maine’s COVID-19 vaccine website. Read the website’s FAQs to learn more about eligibility and scheduling. You may pre-register for an appointment.
Although COVID-19 vaccination isn’t currently required for students, faculty, and staff located on the London campus, you can find more information on the NHS vaccine website. The website shares information on who can get the vaccine and how to book an appointment.
Based on new CDC guidance on revaccination, Northeastern will require students to be revaccinated if they received a vaccine that is not approved in the United States or a vaccine listed for emergency use by the World Health Organization (WHO). Students who have already received a COVID-19 vaccine that is not authorized in the U.S. or authorized by WHO should use the Vaccine Verification form to upload documentation for the vaccine they received.
We do not advise that students delay vaccination if another vaccine is available to them, and we recommend that you discuss your vaccination options with your primary care physician. Based on new CDC guidance on revaccination, Northeastern will require students to be revaccinated if they received a vaccine that is not approved in the United States or a vaccine listed for emergency use by the World Health Organization (WHO). Students who have already received a COVID-19 vaccine that is not authorized in the U.S or by WHO should use the Vaccine Verification form to upload documentation for the vaccine they received.
Yes. The vaccination policy applies to all university travelers participating in fall global co-op and study abroad programs, including N.U.in, NU Bound, and NU Immerse. You should carefully review any vaccination requirements for the country where you are traveling and consult the approved vaccine list for your destination. Please note that these lists are constantly being updated. We recommend discussing vaccination options with your primary care physician.
Northeastern is not currently distributing the vaccine on its campuses, including in Massachusetts where the state changed its vaccine distribution plan. If you are a Northeastern student who lives, works, or studies in Massachusetts, you are eligible to access the vaccine through another vaccine distributor listed on vaxfinder.mass.gov. While appointments can’t be scheduled months in advance, we can assist you in booking a vaccine closer the date of the fall term. Many pharmacies and clinics have same-day appointments available, and some are administering vaccinations on a walk-in basis.
For international students who may have limited access to the vaccine, Northeastern will assist you in getting the vaccine soon after your arrival. Northeastern will appoint and train staff to assist students with booking vaccination appointments at the vaccination sites available in their campus location. Appointments can’t be scheduled months in advance, but we can assist you in booking a vaccine closer to the date of the fall term.
No, international students can only enter the U.S. up to 30 days prior to the program start date on your I-20/DS-2019. Please review the Academic Calendar for other important dates for the start of your program. Please contact Office of Global Services for questions regarding your individual arrival plans.
Please keep any vaccination records you have available to you, to document your immunization.
We recommend following the same process an international student would follow for other proofs of immunization.
Yes. The COVID-19 vaccine is available to international students in all of our global network locations.
Until the week of September 6, fully vaccinated faculty, staff, and students are no longer required to participate in COVID-19 testing. Beginning the week of September 6, all faculty, staff, and students—both fully vaccinated and unvaccinated—are required to have a weekly COVID-19 test if they are on campus one day a week or more. This testing cadence applies on any Northeastern campus where COVID-19 testing is provided. These testing requirements may be revised as the fall 2021 term progresses.
No. At this time, fully vaccinated people should continue with any required COVID-19 testing. Northeastern will continue to evaluate and adjust its viral resting requirements based on the best science available, current guidance from the CDC, Northeastern’s own testing data, and the insights of our faculty experts.
Northeastern follows MDPH guidelines on this question: If a fully vaccinated person is exposed to someone with COVID-19 but has no symptoms, they are not required to quarantine. They should monitor for symptoms of COVID-19, and if they experience symptoms, they should indicate the symptoms on the Daily Wellness Check, isolate themselves from others, speak to a member of the Northeastern Wellness Team, and be tested for COVID-19.
No. The vaccines do not contain the live COVID-19 virus, and neither vaccine will cause you to test positive. The CDC provides more information on these questions and others you may have about the vaccine, how your body may respond to it, and how it works.
Yes, but only after you recover and meet the criteria to discontinue isolation. Because reinfection is uncommon in the 90 days after initial infection, you may want to defer vaccination for 90 days after recovery. If you received antibody therapy to treat COVID-19, you should wait for 90 days after the date of the treatment before you receive the vaccine. Please consult your primary care provider if you have further questions about your history of COVID-19 what it means for you to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
Yes, but only after you meet the criteria to discontinue quarantine. Receiving the vaccine after you are exposed to the virus will not prevent an infection caused by that exposure. Because you are at a high risk of developing the infection and transmitting it to other people, you have to stay quarantined until cleared by the Northeastern Wellness Team or a public health authority. If you are exposed after you schedule your vaccination, please reschedule your appointment.
Please consult your primary care providers and the CDC guidelines about the risks and benefits of receiving the vaccine.
For other vaccination-related questions, please visit the Massachusetts distribution plan, email COVID19vaccine@northeastern.edu, contact UCHS at 617–373–2772, or contact your healthcare provider.