COVID-19 Vaccination Protocol

COVID-19 Vaccinations Will Be Required

COVID-19 Vaccinations will be required for all Administrators, Faculty, Students, Staff, and visitors on campus as part of our plan for a safe return to campus life. 

All clinical students are required to be vaccinated before beginning their clinical rotations in hospitals and clinics.  

Getting Vaccinated is an important step towards the safe resumption of activities on campus. All persons eligible for vaccination are strongly encouraged to visit a health clinic and get vaccinated. 

 

WHERE TO GET YOUR VACCINATION 

Persons residing in St. Vincent and the Grenadines can visit any active Health Center or Polyclinic from Monday to Friday 8:00 am to 4:00 pm AST to receive their vaccination. The Ministry of Health has also stationed a Vaccination Team at the Solidarity Car Park (opposite the Central Police Station in Kingstown) on the following days and time:  Monday to Friday (8:00 am to 4:00 pm) and Saturdays (9:00 am – until). 

All persons are asked to present the following: 

  • A form of Photo Identification (ID Card, Driver’s License, Passport)  

  • Vaccination Card (for those receiving the 2nd Dose) 

Persons residing outside of St. Vincent should follow the vaccination guidelines issued by their local health authorities in their district.  

You can also speak with your health care provider. Some doctor’s offices offer vaccinations at their clinics or may be able to advise you on the vaccination services in your area.  

APPROVED VACCINES 

Currently the following Vaccine Brands are accepted. 

  • Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine 

  • Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine 

  • Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) 

  • AstraZeneca – Oxford AstraZeneca (Vaxzevria), COVISHIELD, AstraZeneca COVID-19 Vaccine by SK Bioscience 

The following are not yet approved worldwide 

  • Gamalaya (Sputnik V, Gam-Covid-Vac) 

  • Cuban COVID-19 Vaccine – Abdala, Soberana 

It is important to recognize that some countries do not recognize and accept some vaccinations and may deny entry of persons transiting during travels. Persons traveling are advised to follow the guidelines issued by all countries in their chosen travel route.  

SUBMISSION OF COVID-19 VACCINATION PROOF TO THE UNIVERSITY 

All persons must provide official documentation of their vaccination that includes the name of the vaccine received and the dates you were vaccinated. Persons are required to send a colored electronic copy of their vaccination card to the Office of the Registrar at least 2 weeks prior to their arrival on campus. Please email your proof of vaccination to vrichards@allsaintsu.org.  

COVID VACCINATION WAIVERS/EXEMPTIONS 

Persons may request a vaccination exemption from the COVID-19 vaccine for religious or medical reasons.  

  • Religious Exemption – You will be required to provide a letter from a religious leader of the faith community to which you are a member, clearly explaining the need for an exemption. Upon approval of a religious exemption, you will be required to sign a release form acknowledging that in the event of an outbreak, you may face certain restrictions from classes, duties and other activities and the University is not liable for your exposure or the consequences of such.  

  • Medical Exemption – You will be required to provide a letter from your healthcare provider clearly explaining the reasons why the vaccination is contraindicated. The letter must be signed by both yourself and the Physician. The letter will be reviewed to determine if the medical condition meets criteria for exemption in accordance with the most recent and up to date CDC (Centers for Disease Control) (Centers for Disease Control) Recommendations.  

NB:  Persons who apply for and are granted a vaccination exemption will be required to have a COVID-19 PCR test done every 2 weeks (14 days) at their own expense and must have a negative PCR test to participate in campus activities. It is important to be aware that problems may arise when traveling and crossing borders and the vaccination waiver may not be honoured. 

REFUSAL TO BE VACCINATED 

All Saints University College of Medicine remains committed to providing a safe environment for all faculty, students, and staff. The University fully supports the vaccination campaign to help restore the global community to a state of normalcy. Persons who refuse to be vaccinated and/or tested will not be permitted to engage in university business. Employees will be mandated to take unpaid leave and clinical students will not be scheduled for clinical rotations until such time as their immunization status is found satisfactory with university policy. (See waiver policy above) 

POST VACCINATION RECOMMENDATIONS 

Following full vaccinations, persons may remove masks when present in outdoor areas. However, masks will continue to be required for indoors and at large outdoor gatherings. Persons are encouraged to continue practicing physical distance if they are in the presence of unvaccinated persons or if vaccination status is unknown. Persons are encouraged to continue with regular hand washing and hygiene protocols. The university will continue to follow the recommendations of the CDC and as such, policies will be updated accordingly.  

TRAVELING TO CAMPUS IN ST. VINCENT.  

All persons requesting travel documents from the university, must provide proof of vaccination before the university releases any documents for the purpose of traveling to St. Vincent for on campus activities.   

WILL I BE REQUIRED TO QUARANTINE IN ST. VINCENT? 

All persons traveling to St. Vincent must follow the Travel Entry Protocol issued by the Ministry of Health Wellness and the Environment. Fully vaccinated persons may contact the Coronavirus Taskforce in St. Vincent and request for home quarantine 48 hours after arrival into the country. Persons are required to send their request in writing to coronavirustaskforcesvg@gmail.com at least 2 weeks prior to arrival. Follow up can be made by calling the telephone number: 1784-453-2351. Persons are required to submit the following documents: 

  • Travel Itinerary 

  • Copy of Vaccination Card 

Persons traveling from very high-risk countries may not be approved for home quarantine. This is entirely at the discretion of the Ministry of Health, Wellness, and the Environment. All persons are responsible for covering all expenses incurred with traveling, testing and hotel quarantine stay. (see Travel Entry Protocol on Student Portal) 

FULLY VACCINATED WITH COVID-19 SYMPTOMS 

The risk of fully vaccinated persons becoming infected with COVID-19 is low. However, if a fully vaccinated person experiences symptoms consistent with COVID-19, the following steps must be followed: 

  • Isolate yourself from others. 

  • Contact your Healthcare Provider or the COVID-19 Hotline to be clinically evaluated for COVID-19.  Please inform the Healthcare Provider of your vaccination status. 

  • Be tested with a SARS-CoV-2 PCR test.   

All expenses incurred during diagnosis and treatment is the responsibility of the individual.  

POLICY CHANGES 

The university will continue to follow the guidelines issued by the CDC, WHO (World Health Organisation), local health ministries and institutional partners in places where we have operations. There may be changes in the guidelines and policies we are required to follow. Such changes will be communicated accordingly.