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COVID-19 Vaccination Requirement FAQs

Exemption Forms

Medical exemption 
Religious exemption 

How do I attest to my vaccination?

Use the following link to attest that you have either completed your COVID vaccination process or have filed your exemption with the Wellness Center.

The attestation link does not work for me. What should I do?

First, try one of the other link locations — either in your email, on the Fall Return page or through the mobile app. If none of those options work, please contact the IT help desk (itsupport@bridgew.edu) for assistance.

What does it mean to attest?

BSU has set the requirement that all students must be vaccinated or have a valid exemption before attending in-person classes, living in residence halls, conducting research on campus and participating in any on-campus activities. To record your compliance with this requirement BSU has created an attestation process where you are asked to share the information from your vaccination and to make a truthful statement about your readiness to participate in on campus activities in light of this new requirement.

Should I attest if I have an exemption?

Yes, all students coming to campus must attest. There is an option to select “Other – Exemption” when attesting via the form linked above.

What should I do if I’m not done with my vaccination process yet?

If you’re not done yet, and therefore cannot attest to having completed vaccination, you should contact the Wellness Center (wellnesscenter@bridgew.edu) with your NAME, BANNER ID, dates of anticipated vaccination and the type of vaccine you’re receiving. The Wellness Center will record that information and instruct you to come back to the attestation form once you are ready to fully attest.

I filled out my attestation already. Why I am still getting texts and emails?

In some cases, the list of un-attested individuals is not completely up to date when the email or text is sent out. If you have completed your attestation within the last 6-8 hours before your email or text reminder, your response may not have been documented in time to stop the reminder.

I emailed the Wellness Center about my vaccination coming up after the Aug. 1 deadline. Will I still get reminder texts and emails?

Yes, if you have not yet completed attestation, you will still receive the reminder texts and emails until you have finished vaccination and completed the attestation form.

How can I tell if you received my attestation?

The best method to check on your attestation is to click the link again. If your submission was recorded, it will tell you that “Your response has already been submitted.”

What if I need to change something on my attestation?

Please contact the Wellness Center (wellnesscenter@bridgew.edu) to let us know if there is new information since your original attestation, or if you forgot to include something prior to submitting your form.

How do I know that my exemption form was approved?

If you are requesting a religious or medical exemption, you should submit that form to the Wellness Center with all required accompanying documentation requested on the form. Once we receive your form, we will acknowledge your submission and instruct you to go ahead and attest, selecting “Other – Exemption” as the answer to the “Vaccination Type” question.

Please be advised that the Wellness Center is experiencing an extremely high volume of communication right now and it may take us several days to reply to your request for exemption. You can help to speed up this process by making sure that you have read the form carefully and submitted all necessary documentation when you email us.

Why did Bridgewater State University make the decision to require students be fully vaccinated before the start of the fall semester?

Everyone wants to return to campus for in-person learning, community life and activities – everyone. The proven, most effective and safest way to accomplish this is with the COVID-19 vaccines available in the United States. The unanimous decision of the Massachusetts State University presidents is consistent with the Stop the Spread Campaign on all campuses that included testing and contact tracing. BSU joins its sister institutions in our shared commitment to ending the pandemic by vaccinating our campus communities.

How can BSU require a vaccine that’s only received Emergency Use Authorization (EUA)?

The Federal Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Massachusetts Department of Health all consider the vaccines that have received EUA safe and effective in combatting the COVID-19 global pandemic. Each of the vaccines were evaluated in clinical trials involving tens of thousands of individuals and continue to be evaluated for efficacy and safety as they are administered throughout the U.S. population.

I am uncomfortable taking the COVID-19 vaccine. Who should I speak to for more information about the vaccine?

Your primary care physician is always the best choice because they know your medical history and can speak directly to your overall safety in being vaccinated. A good option is to visit the commonwealth’s website that covers a number of concerns. https://www.mass.gov/info-details/covid-19-vaccine-frequently-asked-questions  

Will BSU be offering COVID-19 vaccines?

Yes. BSU is has been approved by the state as a regional vaccination site and started administering vaccines on May 10, 2021.

I’ve had COVID. Do I still need to get a vaccine?

The CDC recommends that individuals who were previously infected with COVID-19 obtain a vaccine as soon as they have cleared isolation, unless they were treated with monoclonal antibodies.

How will students prove they have met the vaccine requirement?

Students will be asked to complete a vaccination attestation form in which students indicate the type of vaccine they have received and the dates of their first and second vaccinations. Students may optionally provide their vaccine certification so there is a record of it for them to access if they need it in the future.

Will commuter students be required to take the COVID-19 vaccine?

Vaccines are mandatory this fall for undergraduate and graduate students who are attending in-person classes, conducting research on campus and participating in any on-campus activities.

Will unvaccinated students taking all classes online have access to facilities on campus?

All students engaging in on-campus life or activities must be fully vaccinated with an FDA authorized COVID-19 vaccination prior to accessing on-campus facilities.

What if I am an international student without access to the vaccines currently in use in the U.S.?

Based on guidance from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, BSU will honor all vaccines approved for use by the World Health Organization (WHO) 

How do I go get a religious or medical exemption from taking the COVID-19 vaccination?

Religious and medical exemptions will be accommodated according to state and federal law, following the same exemption procedures BSU uses for other vaccination requirements. If you have a sincerely held religious belief that prevents you from vaccination against COVID-19 or a documented medical exemption, please download the appropriate form below and then contact the Wellness Center at 508.531.1252 or wellnesscenter@bridgew.edu once you have filled out the exemption form. Please note: exemptions based on sincerely held religious belief are not to be used in place of philosophical disagreements with vaccination or the COVID vaccine in particular.

Medical exemption 
Religious exemption 

What is the definition of "fully vaccinated"?

For the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, you are fully vaccinated two weeks after the second dose. For the J&J vaccine, you are fully vaccinated two weeks after the single dose. If these requirements are not met, you are not considered fully vaccinated. Students should plan to be fully vaccinated before arriving on campus for the fall semester. 

Will BSU work with students who choose not to be vaccinated for the start of the fall semester?

The university requires all students attending in-person classes, living in campus housing, participating in on-campus activities, or accessing on-campus facilities to be fully vaccinated before coming to campus. Students who have not been vaccinated will not be allowed on campus for the fall semester. BSU has many online classes and will work with students to help them understand their course options. However, we do not plan to add additional online classes to the fall schedule.

Why can state universities require the COVID-19 vaccine when the state Department of Public Health does not?

Massachusetts State Universities informed the Executive Office of Health and Human Services, Department of Higher Education, Department of Public Health, and the governor’s office, of the decision to require COVID-19 vaccines. The state DPH takes the position that Massachusetts institutions of higher education can require other vaccines, including the COVID-19 vaccine, not currently required by their 2020-2021 vaccination schedule.

What vaccines will BSU accept?

All three vaccines that have received Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) – Moderna, Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson – are acceptable for BSU’s vaccine requirement. Based on guidance from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, BSU will also honor all vaccines approved for use by the World Health Organization (WHO) 

What if I lose my COVID-19 vaccination card? How do I prove that I’ve gotten the vaccine?

  • Contact your healthcare provider or the location where you were vaccinated. They can print out another copy of your record.
  • Your record will also be in v-safe  , if you enrolled in the program.
  • You can fill out an Immunization Record Request Form   that goes directly to the state Department of Public Health. If you use this form, you will get a complete history of all vaccines you’ve gotten, not just the COVID-19 vaccine. It can take up to 6 weeks to get your records.