02/17/2022
By Paulette Renault Caragianes

As we move toward class registration for Summer 2022 and Fall 2022, we want to remind you of the announcement issued in December 2021 that all students coming to campus are required to receive their COVID-19 booster by Feb. 28 or within 30 days of becoming eligible to receive the booster as part of our ongoing measures to keep our campus safe and healthy.

The CDC has strengthened its recommendations on booster shots for individuals 18 and older, with eligibility five months after the second shot of a Pfizer or Moderna vaccination series or two months after a Johnson & Johnson vaccination. Students who were vaccinated outside of the United States with a WHO-approved vaccine should receive a booster of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine type per guidance from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.

You can visit the Massachusetts VaxFinder to find and schedule a booster appointment.

As is the case with all other required vaccinations, failure to comply with these requirements will result in a registration hold on your SiS account, preventing you from registering for subsequent semesters. Holds that will prevent registration associated with lack of immunization compliance, including all required vaccines, will be placed on student account on Feb. 24, 2022. If you have a hold on your account and believe that you are not eligible for your booster shot, please contact studentimmunizations@uml.edu for further information.

You can avoid having a hold placed on your account by getting your COVID vaccine booster when eligible AND uploading your updated vaccination card(s) to the Student Health Portal. This would also be a good time to review your immunization record — such as your TDAP vaccine that must be readministered every 10 years — to make sure you’re up to date with all other required vaccinations.

If you have an existing exemption to the vaccine requirement, your exemption will remain active.

Since the onset of the pandemic, the UMass Lowell community has been proactive in its commitment to reduce risk and take actions that keep each other safe and healthy. Thank you for your efforts.