All community members—students, faculty, staff, and our vendor partners—at Berklee’s Boston and New York campuses are required to receive the full COVID-19 vaccination series, including a booster shot, unless they have received an approved medical or religious vaccination exemption. International students who are not eligible for boosters in their home countries will be required to receive a booster, if eligible, within one week of arriving in the US.
In general, everyone aged 5 years and older should get all COVID-19 primary series doses, plus the most recent booster dose recommended for them.
- Children ages 5 through 11 years (who received the Pfizer primary series) are recommended to get one monovalent Pfizer booster dose.
- People ages 12 years and older, including those who are moderately or severely immunocompromised, are recommended to get one dose of the updated/bivalent booster vaccine at least two months after their last primary series or monovalent booster dose.
- Vaccines can be mixed and matched. Your booster does not need to be the same vaccine brand as your original COVID-19 vaccination, as long as it is an age-appropriate vaccine.
- The updated Pfizer booster vaccine can be given to people 12 years and older.
Learn more about Berklee’s student immunization requirements and the vaccination requirement for faculty, staff, and vendors.
Vaccines Accepted by Berklee
Berklee will accept a complete series of any COVID-19 vaccine, whether or not it is FDA- or WHO-approved. However, if you have received a vaccine that is not authorized for emergency use by the FDA or WHO (e.g., Sputnik), we strongly encourage you to consider getting a vaccine that is authorized for emergency use by the FDA after arriving on campus.
Booster Shot Eligibility
To determine your booster shot eligibility, follow the guidelines below based on your initial COVID-19 vaccination date.
- Pfizer or Moderna: You are eligible six months from the date of your second shot.
- Johnson & Johnson: You are eligible two months from the date of your initial vaccination.
- Other vaccines: If you were vaccinated outside the U.S. with a different vaccine (not Pfizer, Moderna, or Johnson & Johnson), please refer to the CDC’s website for guidance, or contact your primary care provider to discuss your options.
You must receive a booster shot within one month of becoming eligible—even if you have tested positive for COVID-19. Our partners at Tufts have advised that individuals who have previously tested positive may get the booster shot once they have completed their isolation period.
For students who do not submit their booster shot documentation on time, the matter will be escalated to the Office of Community Standards and Conflict Resolution for disciplinary review. Noncompliance could lead to probation, suspension, loss of on-campus housing, or loss of rehearsal and practice space. In addition, you may lose your access to Berklee facilities through the deactivation of your ID.
If there is a medical reason to delay your booster shot, please email immunizations@berklee.edu to seek approval through Berklee’s medical exemption process.
Where to Get Vaccinated or Boosted
COVID-19 vaccines are free in the U.S. and available to everyone ages six months and up. Visit vaxfinder.mass.gov to find a vaccination site, pharmacy, or health center. You can also get the booster shot for free at the Tufts vaccination clinic and the Fenway Park clinic.
How to Submit Your Documentation
Students
- Go to berklee.onelogin.com and log in with your OnePass.
- Click on the Magnus Health icon.
- On the Magnus Health site, submit your vaccinations under the Berklee Immunization Form and COVID-19 Vaccine Documentation requirement. A physician’s signature is not required.
If you have trouble logging in, email 2238@berklee.edu for assistance.
Faculty and Staff
Submit your updated vaccine record with your booster directly through Workday. Instructions on how to do so were sent to your Workday inbox. This information is confidential, and it will be maintained by Human Resources. If you have questions, please email hremployeerelations@berklee.edu.
Medical or Religious Exemptions
Where to Get Vaccinated
The COVID-19 vaccine is free in the U.S. and available to everyone ages six months and up.
Use vaxfinder.mass.gov to find a vaccination site, pharmacy, or health center.
Vaccination Status Definitions
To understand our vaccination policy, it will be helpful for you to understand the following definitions:
- Fully vaccinated: Two full weeks (14 days) after the last dose of any primary series.
- Up-to-date: A person has received all recommended COVID-19 vaccines, including any booster dose(s) when eligible.
- Partially vaccinated: Two full weeks after the first dose of a two-dose series (until two weeks after the second dose of a two-dose series).
- Religious and medical exemptions: Community members who have been granted a religious or medical exemption are encouraged to wear a mask indoors and are no longer required to get tested.
Only fully vaccinated students—or those who have received an approved medical or religious waiver—can live in the residence halls. Partially vaccinated students cannot live in the residence halls until they are fully vaccinated.
