COVID-19 Proof of Vaccination Process
Dear Cornell Community,
As more people become vaccinated, state and federal COVID-19 public health guidelines will continue to change. Many of these guidelines, including quarantine requirements, hinge on whether an individual has been fully vaccinated against COVID-19. As such, a person’s vaccination status will be key to understanding and complying with current and future public health guidelines.
For these reasons, the university will launch a COVID-19 Proof of Vaccination Process later this month. This new process will be available through the Daily Check and will allow all faculty, staff and students to easily upload proof of vaccination (e.g., an image of your vaccination card).
Most immediately, this information will be used to verify which members of the community are required to quarantine if they are identified as a close contact of someone who is suspected or confirmed to have COVID-19. As more members of our campus community become vaccinated, this information will help us to make additional determinations about easing of other public health restrictions. Most public health experts agree that having at least 70% of a population vaccinated is key to combatting the virus and ending the pandemic. Without information from you, we may be unable to determine when we’ve achieved our target number.
As with previous messages, we urge anyone who is currently eligible to sign up to receive the vaccine to do so – and to keep your vaccination card in a safe place. These cards may be difficult or impossible to replace! Please look for additional information in the coming days indicating that the COVID-19 Proof of Vaccination Process is available, along with instructions for uploading your vaccination status. For additional questions, please reference the FAQs below.
Thank you for doing everything you can to both protect yourselves and our campus community from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sincerely,
Mary Opperman
Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer
Ryan Lombardi
Vice President for Student and Campus Life
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is it important for the university to collect vaccination information?
As is already the case with travel and exposure quarantine restrictions, we anticipate that public health guidelines will continue to change as more people become vaccinated. It is important to have a system in place to verify vaccination status so we are able to work with the Cornell community to implement these public health responsibilities.
Most immediately, the information will be used to verify which members of the community are required to quarantine if they are identified as a close contact of someone who is suspected or confirmed to have COVID-19. Both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and New York State Department of Health recently updated their respective quarantine guidance for asymptomatic fully vaccinated individuals. As experts learn more about the protection that COVID-19 vaccines provide under real-life conditions, it is anticipated that federal and state guidance will continue to be updated.
What information will the university collect?
The system will allow community members to provide proof of vaccination, including the manufacturer of the vaccine (e.g., Moderna, Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson/Janssen), the number of doses received, the dates, the location of vaccination and an image of your vaccination card.
Is it mandatory to upload my vaccination information?
Although it is not mandatory to upload your COVID-19 proof of vaccination at this time, we strongly urge anyone who is fully vaccinated to make the university aware of their vaccination status once the new process becomes available.
My vaccine appointment is not until later this spring. Should I inform the university of those dates now?
No, you should wait until you are fully vaccinated before attempting to upload your information. Be certain to keep your vaccination card in a safe place.
What does “fully vaccinated” mean?
Individuals are considered fully vaccinated for COVID-19 two weeks after they have received the second dose in a two-dose series (Pfizer or Moderna), or two weeks after they have received a single-dose vaccine (Johnson & Johnson/Janssen). Currently, New York state only recognizes COVID-19 manufacturers that have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) (i.e., Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson/Janssen).
I have been fully vaccinated. Do I need to continue to wear a mask, practice physical distancing, and participate in surveillance testing?
Yes, you must continue to follow all campus rules for the time being. While experts continue studying the protection that COVID-19 vaccines provide under real-life conditions, it is important for everyone to continue using all the tools available to help stop this pandemic. Until we know that the majority of our campus community members have been vaccinated, and therefore the risk of contracting or spreading COVID-19 has been greatly diminished, the university will keep current guidelines in place for everyone – regardless of whether or not they are fully vaccinated. This includes: wearing face masks or coverings, practicing physical distancing, frequent hand washing, de-densified spaces, avoiding large groups and unnecessary travel, and continued surveillance testing.
I have obtained a vaccine outside of the United States that is not currently approved by the U.S. FDA. Should I report this and what can I expect?
Please fill out the vaccination form if you have received a vaccine, even if it is not approved at this point by the U.S. FDA. We expect that guidelines for those receiving these vaccines will continue to evolve and encourage those affected to be on the lookout for new advice from the CDC and NYS Department of Health. Having your vaccination information on file will make it easier for Cornell to communicate with you if we learn of new guidance.
For more information about COVID-19 vaccines and eligibility, please visit https://covid.cornell.edu/vaccines/.