Dear Colleagues,

We know that many of you continue to have questions about COVID-19 vaccinations in the DMV area. As a reminder, AU will not be distributing vaccines, but we wanted to provide some recent updates about the current distribution phases for the District, Maryland, and Virginia. This information is subject to change by the jurisdictions. Here is the information for the three jurisdictions as of March 8, 2021.

D.C. is currently vaccinating in phase 1C tier 1. Essential higher education employees will be eligible in phase 1C tier 3. DC defines “essential” as “unable to execute their job functions remotely/via telework and are required to report for duty in-person during the public health emergency.” DC began a new pre-registration program on March 10. This program will allow anyone to pre-register, regardless of phase, and it will then contact people for appointments based upon their eligibility.

Maryland is currently in phase 1C. Their guidance states “Higher Educational Institutional front-line workers with potential contact with students living in residence halls (congregate living), facilities maintenance, dining hall, and campus police are included in 1C.” They further state:

Each educational facility shall prioritize its faculty, staff, and students by the following:

1. Faculty or staff that provide essential in-person learning (i.e., instruction that cannot be delivered remotely);
2. Individuals with essential functions related to facility/campus operations;
3. Individuals that require residential or on-campus housing;
4. or that meet an existing priority group in Phase 1A or 1B currently.

Virginia is in phase 1B. Higher education employees will be eligible under phase 1C. Virginia has a statewide pre-registration system, which allows you to pre-register and they will contact you for an appointment when you become eligible.

No matter your jurisdiction, here are some things to keep in mind:

• AU will issue you a letter for employment verification purposes when you are able to obtain a vaccine appointment through your jurisdiction. Contact HRPayrollHelp@american.edu to request a letter. These letters are to be used as documentation when you go to your appointment, if they require employment verification. The letter will not help you get an appointment.
• To obtain an appointment for a vaccine, you must go through your local jurisdiction’s process to register. Vaccinations are by appointment only. We advise that you accept an appointment as soon as you are able to obtain one.
• Whatever your vaccine status, we must all still abide by the AU Forward Health and Safety guidelines to keep our community safe, including physical distancing, face coverings, following the self-screening and self-reporting protocols, and testing if you are on campus.

We are all looking forward to being able to be together once again, and we hope to be able to do that soon. We thank you for your continued attention to our community’s safety and well-being as we navigate through this current phase of the pandemic. 

Best,

Beth Muha
Assistant Vice President of Human Resources