Boston College In Newton To Require COVID-19 Booster Shots

NEWTON, MA — Boston College in Newton is now requiring students, faculty, and staff to get a COVID-19 booster shot when eligible, according to a statement released ahead of the spring 2022 semester.

Those who plan to be on campus at any point during the upcoming semester must obtain a booster shot and upload their card by February 9, which is six months from the August 2021 date when students were required to have received their second Pfizer or Moderna dose or single Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

"Boston College has benefited from an extremely high level of vaccination this semester (99.3%) that has helped keep our community safe and has enabled our students, faculty, and staff to experience as normal a year as possible,” said Vice President of Human Resources David Trainor and Director of University Health Service Douglas Comeau in a letter to the school community. "Vaccinations and boosters are helping to make COVID-19 a manageable illness."

The only exception to BC's booster requirement will be for those who previously obtained a university-approved religious or medical COVID-19 vaccination exemption and have not since been fully vaccinated, said the school. A select few community members who were approved to receive their last Pfizer or Moderna shot later than August must get approval on their booster shot timetable.

In addition to requiring booster shots, BC will once again require that all individuals who plan to be on campus during the spring semester be tested for COVID-19 prior to the first day of classes on Jan. 18.

Faculty and staff will test between Monday, Jan. 10, and Friday, Jan.14. Testing for students who reside on campus will occur during their move-in January 15 through 17, as scheduled through Residential Life. Undergraduates who live off campus and graduate students should test as soon as they return to the area and before engaging in on-campus activities.

For more information on getting tested for COVID-19 at BC, click here.