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UHart

Vaccine Requirement

Protect Yourself and Each Other

Exemption Information

UHart has a COVID-19 vaccine exemption process in place for those who wish to apply. Please review the exemption information on this page. 

Questions about the exemption process? Email imrecords@hartford.edu. 

As part of our ongoing efforts to protect the community, the COVID-19 vaccine and booster were required for the 2021-2022 academic year for all students, faculty, and staff. 

We recognize students and families have questions around COVID-19 policies and requirements for the fall semester. The University has been flexible, responsive, and supportive throughout the pandemic to keep our community safe. As of now, any Fall 2022 policies will be set over the summer and closer to the start of the semester. 

We are hopeful for a continued return to our traditional residential campus experience. 

Spring 2022 Booster Requirement

All UHart students, faculty, and staff were required to show proof of a booster by the first day of classes on January 19 or within seven days of eligibility.

Eligibility is defined as:

  • Five months after your Pfizer series or Moderna vaccination series
  • Two months after a J&J vaccination

Vaccine and Booster Submission Instructions

  • Log on to the Student Health Portal using your email username (without "@hartford.edu") and your email password
  • Click on link for “pending forms”
  • Click one the COVID-19 forms
  • Enter the dates of your vaccines on the appropriate line (if you have already done this, you do not need to repeat this step)
  • Enter the date of your booster under the appropriate vaccine
  • At the end of the form, click “Select File” to upload images/copies of your COVID Card
  • Click “Submit”

Please note: If you do not enter the dates of your immunizations on the appropriate form before uploading documentation it will not enter you as being compliant.

Questions

Please email helpdesk@hartford.edu if you are unable to log on to the portal. If you have questions regarding the form you can email imrecords@hartford.edu.

Vaccine & Booster Exemption Process

Student Exemptions

Students should upload their COVID-19 vaccine and booster documentation as stated above. If you would like to apply for exemption, the University accepts documented medical, religious, and philosophical exemptions for the COVID-19 vaccine, including boosters. 

Exemption Process:
  • Students can submit exemption requests via their Student Health Portal, ideally along with immunization records or exemption documentation for all other required vaccinations.*
  • The exemptions are processed via Student Health Portal on a rolling basis. Once submitted, you will receive a secure message (via the Student Health Portal) confirming that documentation has received and is being reviewed.
  • Please allow three weeks for review.

*The Fall 2022 exemption form will be available in May.

If you are a prospective incoming student with a strong desire to file an exemption prior to depositing, please email imrecords@hartford.edu. If approved, a student will still need to upload the exemption form to the Student Health Portal after formally depositing.

Additional Information

Every student applying for an exemption has an opportunity to speak with a medical provider from Hartford HealthCare. If you wish to take advantage of this opportunity, please indicate that you would like a phone call from a medical professional when you submit your exemption request for to imrecords@hartford.edu.

Please note that exemptions approved by the University do not apply or extend to off-campus sites (such as clinicals, student teaching, or other off campus activities that you may take part in as a student). To participate in these experiences, some of which may be required, students will need to meet the requirements of the off-campus site. 

Spring 2022 Exemption Application

Employee Exemptions

New employees can apply for an exemption by contacting hrdcovid@hartford.edu.

Why Vaccinate?

Science continues to show that the vaccine is safe, effective, and the best way to prevent the spread of COVID-19:

  • The COVID-19 vaccination will help protect you from getting COVID-19 and will help build immunity to help stop the pandemic—and you'll be able to get back to doing the things you love sooner and safer!
  • COVID-19 vaccines also help keep you from getting seriously ill even if you do get COVID-19.
  • Getting vaccinated yourself may also protect people around you, particularly people at increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19.

Vaccinations: Get the Facts

vaccine image

Read a few common myths and facts and learn more about the importance of getting vaccinated on the CDC website. 

Get the Facts
Myth or Fact: Myth

The COVID-19 vaccine will make me sick with COVID-19—None of the authorized and recommended vaccines contain the live virus that causes COVID-19. This means that a COVID-19 vaccine cannot make you sick with COVID-19.

Myth or Fact: Myth

The COVID-19 vaccination will alter my DNA—False! COVID-19 vaccines do not change or interact with your DNA in any way.

Myth or Fact: Fact

You should still get vaccinated if you've already had COVID-19—True! You should be vaccinated regardless of whether you already had COVID-19. That’s because experts do not yet know how long you are protected from getting sick again after recovering from COVID-19.

COVID-19 Vaccine FAQs

We accept the vaccines that the FDA has authorized: Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson.   

We will accept international vaccines authorized for emergency use by the WHO. If you have received a vaccine that is not on this list, it is possible that Health Services may ask you to re-vaccinate based on CDC guidance available in late summer. We will work with you through that process.

We recommend visiting vaccines.gov as a first step. Click on “Find COVID-19 Vaccines” to search by your zip code. You can also search on your state’s vaccine website. For example:

CT: Connecticut COVID-19 Vaccine Portal 
NJ: NJ Vaccine Appointment Finder 
NY: COVID-19 Vaccine
Mass: COVID-19 Vaccine Availability

Vaccines are free for everyone. Vaccines were paid for with taxpayer dollars and will be given to all people living in the United States, regardless of insurance or immigration status.

All three vaccines on the market went through extensive clinical trails to generate this safety data prior to their approval. The FDA carefully reviews all safety data from the clinical trials of the available vaccines and only authorizes emergency vaccine use when the expected benefits outweigh potential risks.

Educate and Encourage

Hear first-hand from UHart nursing students on why they choose to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

Nevaeh McKinney

It was an extreme privilege to be in the first round of vaccinations. But there was a reason for me to be among the first group to receive the vaccine, and that was caring for patients. This spring I have been assigned to a nursing home for my first nursing clinical rotation. There is a lot of stigma behind this vaccine, but that honestly did not matter to me. I could not care for my clinical patients with the utmost focus, respect, and protection if I’m worrying about getting them sick. I believe that we all need to remember where we were a year ago—those were some of the hardest days of our lives. Many were prevented from seeing their loved ones and that is something I never want people to have to go through again. This year I knew what it felt like to lose someone in my family to COVID-19. I know there are hundreds of thousands of other people who have had to go through the same thing. That is why it was that much more important to me to get the vaccine and encourage others to do the same when it’s their turn.

Gema Grandados '23

The reason why I chose to get vaccinated was because I wanted to protect those who are most at risk of contracting the virus. As a future healthcare professional, I am entering a field where I must think of others. My actions and decisions will one day affect those I take care of and I took my first step in this lifelong journey by vaccinating myself! I encourage everyone to educate themselves about the vaccine and to make sure they are getting their information from trusted sources like Hartford Healthcare.

Josh Jaggon

The reason I decided to get the COVID-19 vaccine was because I was tired of all the stress that came with dealing with COVID. With so many important things going on in our lives with classes and work, knowing that I am protected from COVID-19 helps take a weight off my shoulders. It's such a relief to not have to worry about what I would do if I ended up getting sick. College is already stressful enough as it is but missing classes and having work pile up while you are forced to recover from COVID-19 is a nightmare I'm glad I never have to experience. I also decided to get vaccinated because I wanted to protect my family. As a nursing student, I travel back and forth from hospitals where there is a much higher risk of encountering people who are sick but being vaccinated gives me an extra layer of protection against COVID-19. This also protects my family. Overall, I'm glad I decided to get vaccinated and hope that everyone will do the same, so we can finally have life go back to normal.