Requirements & Exemptions

Outside Vaccination Reporting

If you received the COVID-19 vaccine outside of the Duke Employee/Student vaccination clinic (e.g. pharmacy, health department, other institution), please submit your completed vaccination card to Duke Employee Health or Duke Student Health so your records can be updated accordingly.

Duke requires up-to-date vaccination against COVID-19 for all students, faculty, and staff, or an individual must have an approved medical or religious exemption. See details below.

Students

Incoming students are required to complete a WHO-approved COVID vaccine series prior to participation in on-campus activities. Duke also recommends students receive a booster dose when eligible per CDC guidelines. Note: Health Science students are required to receive the booster dose when eligible per CDC guidelines.

New Duke Employees

Newly hired Duke employees will be required, at a minimum, to have received a single dose of a World Health Organization (WHO) approved COVID-19 vaccination or a Duke-approved medical or religious exemption prior to their start of work date. Employees receiving mRNA COVID-19 vaccines will be expected to complete the initial series within 30 days from their initial dose.

New Duke employees are required to receive a booster dose 5 months after the second dose of an mRNA vaccine or 2 months after a vector vaccine. New hires who are eligible for a booster prior to their employment start date are required to receive the booster or have a Duke approved exemption prior to beginning employment. If the new employee is not yet eligible for a booster at the time of their start of employment, they will have until 28 days after becoming eligible under CDC and state guidelines to receive a booster or an approved exemption.

Once new hires have a NetID and password, they can submit documentation of vaccination through Duke's VaxTrax online form.

Exemption links are as follow:

To apply for a medical exemption, have your medical provider complete and sign this form. Submit a scanned copy of the completed form to Employee Occupational Health & Wellness at EOHWCovidVac@duke.edu.
To apply for a religious exemption, complete and submit this form to Staff and Labor Relations by email to hrslrpolicies@duke.edu or by fax to 919-681-7924.

Duke Manager's COVID Responsibilities for New Hires

Duke requires new hires to have their first dose of a World Health Organization (WHO) approved COVID-19 vaccine or an approved exemption before they start work at Duke. If the new hire is eligible for a booster then EOHW will not clear them for hire until they have had the booster or are approved for an exemption.

The hiring manager is responsible to ensure their new hire becomes fully compliant with the vaccination policy if they begin work with incomplete vaccination or are not yet eligible for booster.

Exemptions

Students should email immunizations@duke.edu to request a medical or religious exemption form.

University faculty and staff may apply for a medical or religious exemption. (Note: School of Medicine and DUHS team members should follow the process described on the Duke Health website). Individuals granted medial or religious exemptions will be subject to daily symptom monitoring, regular testing, masking while indoors and other protocols applicable to those who have not been vaccinated:

All students who have obtained an exemption from vaccination will be required to participate in surveillance testing twice a week. Faculty and staff who have not been vaccinated will be required to participate in surveillance testing once per week.
Anyone who has not been vaccinated, regardless of the circumstances, will be required to complete daily symptom monitoring.
Anyone who has not been vaccinated will be required to wear a mask indoors at all times.

Applications for medical or religious exemptions should be submitted by 10 a.m. Friday, Oct. 1, 2021.

Medical Exemption

To apply for a medical exemption, have your medical provider complete and sign this form. Submit a scanned copy of the completed form to Employee Occupational Health & Wellness at EOHWCovidVac@duke.edu.

Religious Exemption

To apply for a religious exemption, complete and submit this form to Staff and Labor Relations by email to hrslrpolicies@duke.edu or by fax to 919-681-7924.

Initial Vaccination Requirements: Students, Faculty and Staff

Duke University, Duke University Health System and the Private Diagnostic Clinic required all current students and employees to provide proof of receiving the COVID-19 booster shot by 10 a.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2022, or within 28 days of their eligibility under CDC and state guidelines, whichever date was later. Students were required to submit documentation through Student Health Services, while faculty and staff used VaxTrax.

Those who already had received an exemption from the COVID-19 vaccine requirement (see above) were exempt from the booster requirement and did not need to reapply for a new exemption.
Employees who had not received the booster shot or had an approved exemption by the deadline were issued a Final Written Warning and placed on administrative leave. (Accrued vacation or discretionary holiday time could be used if available; otherwise, the leave would be unpaid.) After the seven days, employees not compliant were terminated and not recommended for rehire.