Note: This letter originally appeared as an e-mail sent to the Hopkins community on Thursday March 28, 2024.
Dear Johns Hopkins Community,
As we begin to close out this academic year, we want to provide an update to our COVID-19 vaccination policy.
In consultation with the Johns Hopkins University Health Advisory Group and other public health experts across our campuses, Johns Hopkins University will strongly encourage, but no longer require, at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. Johns Hopkins University will still require all faculty, staff, and students to receive the seasonal flu vaccine.
This change is effective immediately and aligns with current CDC and FDA guidelines.
COVID-19 remains a serious illness and we must continue to be diligent to prevent the spread of the virus. Those who are up to date with COVID-19 vaccines have lower risk of severe illness, hospitalization, and death from COVID-19 than those who are unvaccinated or have received only the primary series. Updated COVID-19 boosters can help restore protection that has decreased since previous vaccination.
We will continue to closely monitor public health conditions and if we need to reinstate measures (including vaccination requirements) to protect the health and safety of our community and our neighbors, we will do so. We will include the COVID-19 vaccine in our annual review process with the Johns Hopkins University Health Advisory Group.
Faculty, staff and students who test positive for COVID should follow the updated CDC guidelines. Normal activities can be resumed once symptoms are improving and you’ve been fever-free—without the aid of fever-reducing medications—for at least 24 hours. For the five days after you resume your normal activities, you should take extra precautions.
As a reminder, Johns Hopkins Medicine, the School of Nursing, and Applied Physics Laboratory employees are subject to their respective policies and procedures regarding COVID and influenza vaccination. School of Medicine affiliates follow JHM policies and procedures.
Sincerely,
Ray Jayawardhana
Provost
Jon Links
Vice Provost and Chief Risk Officer
Kevin Shollenberger
Vice Provost for Student Health and Well-being
Meredith Stewart
Interim Vice President of Human Resources