COVID VACCINATIONS & TESTING POLICY
Students, faculty, and staff are required to receive all recommended doses in their primary COVID-19 vaccine series, and one booster dose when eligible, or have an approved exemption. Students must submit documentation of vaccination or an approved exemption before beginning their study or work at Dartmouth. Faculty and staff must submit documentation of vaccination or an approved exemption within 30 days of their hire date at Dartmouth. Students, faculty, and staff who become eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine while at Dartmouth must submit documentation of vaccination or an approved exemption within 30 days of becoming eligible.
Accepted COVID-19 vaccines are those that received full approval or emergency use authorization by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration or those that received or are undergoing assessment for emergency use listing (PDF) by the World Health Organization.
Students must submit vaccination documentation to the Dartmouth College Health Service through the Health Service portal. Those who would like to request a vaccination exemption may do so through the Dartmouth College Health Service. Read the student COVID-19 vaccination FAQs for more information.
Faculty and staff must submit vaccination documentation to Axiom Medical, Dartmouth’s Occupational Medicine provider. Those who would like to request a vaccination exemption may do so through the Office of Institutional Diversity and Equity. Read the employee COVID-19 vaccination FAQs for more information.
Testing is required for students, faculty, and staff who:
Have COVID-19 symptoms;
Are a close contact to someone who has COVID-19;
Need to confirm a take-home antigen test result;
Are a student starting a new term or program;
Must comply with external requirements, such as the requirements for NCAA athletes.
For more information, read Dartmouth’s frequently asked questions on testing.
VACCINATION RESOURCES
In addition to Dartmouth’s COVID-19 vaccine policy, Dartmouth strongly recommends that students, faculty, and staff stay up to date on their COVID-19 vaccines. Please review the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) COVID-19 vaccine guidance for information on vaccine eligibility and recommendations. According to the CDC, if you recently had COVID-19, you are able to be vaccinated as soon as you have ended isolation and your symptoms are gone, but you may consider delaying your next vaccine dose. Talk to your health-care provider with questions. Students can contact the Dartmouth College Health Service.
Dartmouth is hosting COVID-19 vaccine clinics on Nov. 2, Nov. 8, and Nov. 18 at which students, faculty, and staff can get a bivalent booster vaccine (Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna). Primary series vaccines will not be available at these clinics. Clinics will be held from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. (with breaks from 12 to 1 p.m. and from 5 to 6 p.m.) in Alumni Hall at the top of the Hopkins Center for the Arts. Since vaccine supply is limited, walk-in visits are limited. Please schedule an appointment.
To find a COVID-19 primary series or booster vaccine in the U.S., search vaccines.gov or call 800-232-0233 (TTY 888-720-7489). Information on local clinics is also available through Dartmouth Health and the New Hampshire and Vermont state health departments.
For information on flu vaccines, the Dartmouth College Health Service provides flu vaccine resources for students and the Wellness office provides flu vaccine resources for faculty and staff.
TESTING RESOURCES
It is good practice to have at least two take-home antigen tests and a few masks on hand. Students, faculty, and staff can pick up take-home antigen tests and KN95 masks at pick-up locations on and around campus. COVID-19 tests are also available through health care providers and local pharmacies, through resources provided by the New Hampshire and Vermont state health departments, and through resources provided by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Organizers of Dartmouth-sponsored in-person events can purchase take-home antigen tests through Dartmouth to provide to attendees who choose to test. Read Dartmouth’s event guidance for more information.
Dartmouth faculty and staff enrolled in one of Dartmouth’s health insurance plans can get up to eight free at-home over the counter (OTC) COVID-19 tests, per covered individual per month, through Express Scripts. Instructions on how to get your free test kits can be found at dartgo.org/covid-updates.
Students who are in isolation and need a take-home antigen test can call the Dartmouth College Health Service nursing department at 603-646-9440 Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. to set up curbside pick-up. Faculty and staff who are in isolation and need a take-home antigen test can email occupational.medicine@dartmouth.edu. Students, faculty, and staff can also contact their health care provider or local pharmacy to ask about how to get a rapid antigen test when positive.
Read Dartmouth’s frequently asked questions on testing for more information.
SYMPTOMS, TESTING POSITIVE, AND EXPOSURE
With questions or concerns about your health, contact your health-care provider. Students can contact the Dartmouth College Health Service. Health and wellness resources are also available for students through the Dartmouth College Health Service and the Student Wellness Center and for faculty and staff through the Wellness office.
If you feel sick or have COVID-19 symptoms: Wear a face mask, avoid close contact with others, and test immediately. If you test negative, test again in 48 hours. If your second test result is negative, you do not need to isolate. Continue wearing a face mask until your symptoms improve.
If you test positive for COVID-19: Wear a face mask and isolate immediately according to Dartmouth’s isolation guidance. In addition:
Students: Report your positive test result to the Dartmouth College Health Service by emailing dicks.house.nurse@dartmouth.edu. Notify your close contacts.
Faculty and staff: Report your positive test result to Axiom Medical by calling 833-408-1338. Axiom will notify any close contacts who are Dartmouth students, faculty, or staff. Notify all other close contacts directly.
For COVID-19, a close contact is anyone who was less than 6 feet away from an infected person for a combined total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period. An infected person can transmit COVID-19 starting 48 hours before they developed symptoms or took a test with a positive result.
Students, faculty, and staff who are at high risk for severe illness from COVID-19 should keep their health-care provider updated as treatment may be available. Students can contact the Dartmouth College Health Service. Read coping with COVID-19 and post-COVID for resources and support.
If you are exposed to someone with COVID-19 or identified as a close contact: Wear a face mask through Day 10, avoid close contact with others, and test on Day 6 or sooner if you develop symptoms. The day you were last in close contact with someone who has COVID-19 is considered Day 0.
Students: Follow Dartmouth’s close contact exposure guidance.
Faculty and staff: Contact Axiom Medical at 833-408-1338 for instructions.
VISITORS
Dartmouth recommends that all visitors 5 years of age or older:
Individuals are up to date on their COVID-19 vaccinations after receiving all recommended COVID-19 vaccine doses, including booster doses once they are eligible.
Visitors can find more information on accessing COVID-19 tests through the New Hampshire and Vermont public health departments or visitors can use a self-test kit.
Visitors must not access a Dartmouth location or Dartmouth-sponsored in-person event if:
Visitors who develop symptoms or test positive for COVID-19 while at a Dartmouth location or event, or within 48 hours of being at Dartmouth, should isolate immediately and follow the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) isolation guidance. The visitor should also inform their close contacts. For COVID-19, a close contact is anyone who was less than 6 feet away from you for a combined total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period.
If identified as a close contact, visitors should wear a face mask, limit close contacts with others, contact their primary care provider, and follow the CDC’s quarantine guidance.