Effective Jan. 1, 2022, Memorial’s procedure for Vaccine Requirement will change to align with the provincial government’s Mandatory Vaccination Policy.

Memorial’s updated procedure will reflect the requirement that all students, staff and faculty at Memorial University must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or have an approved accommodation. Rapid or PCR testing will not be an option to opt out of vaccination under this revision.

Approved accommodations require documented evidence. Documentation outlining medical reasons for not being fully vaccinated against COVID-19 must be provided by an appropriate health care provider, in line with guidance from the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Newfoundland and Labrador. Protected grounds for accommodations are contained in the Newfoundland and Labrador Human Rights Act, 2010. This means that an individual attending campus must either be fully vaccinated by Jan. 1, 2022 or have an approved accommodation in place.

In accordance with the NL Vaccine Passport (NL VaxPass), fully vaccinated is defined as: when at least two weeks have passed since an individual’s second dose, or first dose of a one-dose COVID-19 vaccine, of an approved Health Canada vaccine. You are also considered fully vaccinated if you received one or two doses of a non-Health Canada approved COVID-19 vaccine, followed by one dose of an mRNA vaccine (Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna), and at least two weeks has passed since the mRNA dose. Memorial will be updating its current vaccination procedure to align with Public Health advice. To read more about NL VaxPass Memorial-specific information, please visit Memorial’s COVID-19 website. More information on the provincial program, guidance and requirements are available online. You can also learn more about downloading the VaxPass through this video.

This policy is based on the requirements of the Occupational Health and Safety Act, which requires Memorial University to safeguard the health and safety of employees and others in the workplace.

Individuals who do not meet the requirements of vaccination or an approved accommodation will not be allowed on campus for any reason including, but not limited to classes, work or recreation. Individuals will not be able to access in-person services across campuses, with the exception of the Student Wellness and Counselling Centre and the MUN Dental Clinic on the St. John’s campus, and Counselling and Psychological Services at Grenfell Campus. This may mean that registration and courses will be dropped and deferred until the global health emergency is at a lower level of risk. Employees, whether working remotely or on-campus, are required to be vaccinated. Failure to adhere to the updated Memorial Vaccine Requirement Procedure may require review and action under the Student Code of Conduct Office, Human Resources or Faculty Relations.

If your vaccination status has changed since first completing the Vaccine Declaration Form, please contact CRO@mun.ca so we may update your record.