May 12, 2021

Dear international students and students living overseas,

As President Burwell announced on April 14, all students who will be present on campus in Fall 2021 must be vaccinated against COVID-19. This includes full-time and part-time students, undergraduates and graduate students, and residential and non-residential students.

We understand that students not currently in the U.S. may not have access to U.S.-authorized vaccines prior to arrival. AU follows CDC guidance for people immunized with vaccines not currently authorized in the U.S. We will continue to monitor the guidance and may need to adjust if CDC guidance changes prior to fall start term.

If you are fully vaccinated, submit proof of your vaccination to the student health portal. You will select “NOS” (Not Otherwise Specified) as your vaccine. Next steps will depend on the status of your vaccination series, as per the World Health Organization (WHO).

If you have completed a COVID-19 vaccination series (meaning two doses of vaccines) with a vaccine authorized for emergency use by the World Health Organization, found in the WHO's May 4 guidance document, you will not need additional doses with an FDA-authorized COVID-19 vaccine in the U.S. You will be approved for campus presence.

If you have completed a COVID-19 vaccination series with a vaccine NOT authorized for emergency use by the World Health Organization, you will need to complete an FDA-authorized vaccination series in the U.S.

If you are partially vaccinated when you arrive, you will need to restart your series in the U.S. Given that we are a residential campus we want to ensure our students have the highest levels of health and safety.

You may find the list of COVID-19 vaccines and their current WHO evaluation status in the WHO's May 4 guidance document.

Please know that to board a flight to the U.S., you will need to show a negative COVID test taken 72 hours prior to boarding. Upon arrival at AU, you will need to comply with all AU health and safety directives, including the schedule of COVID testing.

For additional information, make sure to monitor your emails, check in with your ISSS advisor as needed, and consult our extensive set of vaccine FAQs, which are regularly updated.

If you are a returning student, we look forward to seeing you on campus again this Fall. To all new global Eagles, welcome to AU, and we are excited that you are joining our community!

Stay safe, be healthy, and have a wonderful summer.

Sincerely,
Fanta Aw
Vice President of Student Life & Inclusive Excellence

David Reitman, MD
Medical Director
American University Student Health Center