Flu vaccine required for JHU affiliates

| September 12, 2022
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Note: This letter originally appeared as an e-mail sent to the Hopkins community on September 12, 2022.

Dear Johns Hopkins Community:

Since 2020, Johns Hopkins University has required all JHU students, trainees, postdoctoral fellows, faculty, and staff to receive an annual influenza (flu) vaccine.

This year’s deadline to upload proof of receiving the vaccine to the Vaccine Management System (VMS) is Friday, Nov. 18. 

The inactivated flu vaccine (injectable) will be available to students and employees at a series of on-site JHU clinics. You can find a list of all Homewood and East Baltimore clinics on the mandatory flu vaccine policy webpage. Information on additional clinics will be shared as it becomes available. For on-site flu clinics, please complete this vaccination form and bring your JHU identification with you. Alternatively, you can get vaccinated at your local pharmacy or by your primary care physician through insurance at no cost to you.

If you attend a JHU on-site flu clinic, your J-Card/ID badge will be swiped and your vaccination documentation will be automatically uploaded into the VMS. If you receive your flu vaccine elsewhere (e.g., at a JHM-sponsored clinic, at a local pharmacy, through your primary care provider), you will need to upload proof of vaccination to VMS.

Johns Hopkins Medicine (JHM) and Applied Physics Laboratory employees are subject to their respective policies and procedures. School of Medicine affiliates follow JHM policies and procedures.

Vaccinations at Walgreens
All JHU faculty, staff, and students can get the flu vaccination for free at any Walgreens location using the JHU flu vaccine voucher. You must either print the voucher using the VMS website or display it on your phone at the time of service. Click “flu voucher” to download it. No appointment is necessary. Please complete the vaccination form prior to your appointment.

Proof of Vacination
If you receive the flu vaccine at Walgreens or anywhere other than at a JHU-sponsored vaccine clinic—even if you use the JHU voucher—proof of immunization must be uploaded to the VMS (so be sure to get a receipt from Walgreens). This applies even if the doctor/doctor’s office that gave you the vaccine is within the Johns Hopkins network. At a minimum, the submission should include a clear scan or photo of a record that includes your name, the date of vaccination and the vaccination location (e.g., Walgreens, CVS, or the name of the physician’s office). If you don’t get a receipt and you got your vaccine in Maryland, you can download proof of your flu shot from the Maryland myIR.com website.

It may take up to two weeks for your outside flu vaccination to be processed and for you to receive a confirmation email. You can check your status in the VMS at any time.

Exceptions
Anyone requesting a religious or medical exception to the flu vaccine must submit their request to the VMS by Oct. 31, 2022. It may take up to two weeks for your exception request to be reviewed. More information on policies and exceptions can be found on the Johns Hopkins Medicine website. You must obtain an approved medical or religious exception by Nov. 18, 2022.

Note that the mandate outlined in this message does not apply to JHU affiliates who are 100% remote—that is, those who never visit any Johns Hopkins facility or conduct business in any public setting on Johns Hopkins’ behalf.

Having as many students, faculty, and staff as possible vaccinated for the flu, in conjunction with other health and infection prevention policies, is vital to the safety of our community. If you have any questions that are not answered on our websites, you can email vms@jhu.edu. We appreciate your support.

Kevin Shollenberger
Vice Provost for Student Health and Well-Being

Pierre Joanis
Vice President for Human Resources