This past weekend, Smith held its first on-campus vaccine clinic at the Indoor Track and Tennis Facility to administer the first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to eligible members of the general public, including undergraduate and graduate students participating in Smith’s COVID-19 screening program.
The clinic will administer the second dose next month, ensuring that those returning to campus in the fall will meet Smith’s vaccination requirement.
Last Wednesday, President McCartney announced in a letter to the community that Smith will require all undergraduate and graduate students to be fully vaccinated prior to returning to campus for the Fall 2021 semester. Students will need to verify that they are fully vaccinated before arriving on campus by uploading vaccine records to the confidential patient portal on the Schacht Center’s website.
The college will review and accommodate requests for medical or religious exemptions on a case-by-case basis. Smith will also help international students or others who cannot get a U.S.-approved vaccination meet the requirement. By mid-June, the college will have additional details about the overall return process including the vaccination requirement.
By providing an on-campus vaccination site, Smith hopes to alleviate the burden that’s being placed on local clinics and give students the opportunity to be fully vaccinated before the college’s move-out date.
“We continue to encourage all members of our community to get vaccinated as soon as they are able,” writes McCartney.
Students are encouraged to contact their class dean with any accommodation questions regarding reactions to the vaccine. Those who receive the vaccine are still expected to follow the health and safety guidelines outlined in Smith’s Culture of Care response plan, such as wearing a face mask and being tested on a regular basis.
According to President McCartney, the on-campus vaccine clinic and vaccination requirement for the fall are part of Smith’s commitment to maintaining a safe and healthy campus as the pandemic continues.
“While this past year has been stressful, it has also proven how undaunted we are in the face of challenges, and how resilient we can be.”
