ObieSafe Update: COVID-19 Vaccines Now Required for All Students

August 23, 2021

Dear Obies,

Today the U.S. Food & Drug Administration approved the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine. This is another positive step towards minimizing the spread of COVID-19.

You may recall that earlier this month, President Ambar announced that upon FDA approval of a COVID-19 vaccine, all students would have 45 days to receive all doses.

All students are required to either upload their vaccination card or other proof of vaccination. Students seeking a medical or religious exemption, as declared on their vaccine intent form, will soon receive the exemption form via email to complete.

Students planning to attend Oberlin in the fall are required to complete the following. Failure to meet these requirements constitutes a failure to comply with the ObieSafe commitment, which may result in dismissal from the fall term.

• Receive all doses of a COVID-19 vaccine no later than October 7.
  • Immediately upon receiving the final dose of a vaccine, upload your vaccine card to the Student Health Portal.
  • Don’t delay getting your vaccine! To protect yourself and your fellow Obies, please plan to receive all doses of a COVID-19 vaccine before arriving on campus.
  • Students arriving from an international destination who are unable to obtain a vaccine in that country may be granted an extension. Additional information will be posted on ObieSafe.
  • If you are not fully vaccinated by your arrival to campus, you will be required to test. You are considered fully vaccinated when you are 2 weeks past the final dose of a vaccine series or single dose vaccine.
• Sign the 2021-22 ObieSafe Community Agreement by September 10.
• Complete the COVID-19 Vaccine Intent Form by September 10 regardless of vaccination or exemption status.
  • If you have medical or religious reasons for not getting vaccinated, please note it on your COVID-19 vaccine intent form. Oberlin will send you an exemption form to complete.
• Obtain an influenza vaccine prior to arriving on campus.
  • Students who are currently on campus can contact Student Health to schedule a vaccine when it becomes available (440) 775-8180 or health@oberlin.edu.
  • Students arriving from countries that do not offer the influenza vaccine will be able to receive a vaccine through Student Health when it becomes available (440) 775-8180 or health@oberlin.edu.
  • Students who would like to request an influenza vaccination exemption should submit documentation to Student Health.

Arrival Testing is Required for Unvaccinated Students

If you are a student who will NOT be fully vaccinated by your arrival to campus, you must:

• Schedule a COVID-19 test for the day of your arrival by September 10.
  • Contact Student Health at (440) 775-8180 or health@oberlin.edu to schedule a test.
  • You are only considered fully vaccinated when you are 2 weeks past your:
    • Second dose of Pfizer or Moderna
    • First dose of Johnson & Johnson
    • All doses of a World Health organization approved vaccine from another country
  • If you will be arriving during non-business hours when Student Health is closed, schedule a COVID-19 test for the next business day after your arrival.
    • When you arrive on campus, stop at Campus Safety, Dascomb Hall, 140 West College Street to check-in.
    • Quarantine in your residence until your scheduled test.
    • Follow all masking requirements, including while in your room and while sleeping if sharing a room with another student.
    • You may leave your residence to go pick up grab-and-go meals.

Requirements for Students Arriving from International Destinations

If you are a student arriving from an international destination, you must follow the below requirements. Schedule all required tests by September 10.

• Unvaccinated students and students who are not fully vaccinated upon arrival from international destinations:
  • Quarantine for 7 days, even after receiving a negative test result.
  • Schedule a rapid test for the day of your arrival at Student Health (440) 775-810 or health@oberlin.edu.
  • Schedule a PCR test with Student Health (440) 775-8180 or health@oberlin.edu for 3-5 days after arrival.
  • Unvaccinated international travelers may request early arrival so that their quarantine ends prior to the first day of class.
    • You should arrive no later than September 26 in order to be eligible for in-person class attendance on October 4. This is the latest day to arrive to complete the 7 day quarantine before the start of classes.
    • You must fill out this form no later than September 10 to request early arrival. Questions can be directed to Residential Education at resed@oberlin.edu.
• Fully vaccinated students arriving from international destinations:
  • Schedule a rapid test for the day of your arrival at Student Health (440) 775-810 or health@oberlin.edu.
  • Schedule a PCR test with Student Health (440) 775-8180 or health@oberlin.edu for 3-5 days after arrival.
  • No quarantine is required.

Oberlin has and will continue to follow all public health guidelines, and update our policies accordingly to keep our campus safe. I thank everyone for doing their part for our community.

Have a great rest of the summer and we look forward to seeing you in the fall!

Sincerely,

Katie Gravens
Campus Health Coordinator