October 27, 2021
Dear NYFA Community,
As you were informed in the recent communication from NYFA President, Michael Young, NYFA will be requiring COVID-19 vaccinations for students and employees learning and working at the New York and Los Angeles campuses for the 2021-2022 academic year.
Please read carefully the following information describing the NYFA COVID-19 Vaccination Requirements. For future reference, you may also find this information on the NYFA Health Requirements webpage.
COVID-19 Vaccination Requirements for Students
NYFA will be requiring all students, for the 2021-2022 academic year, to be fully vaccinated with a COVID-19 vaccine, fully approved by the FDA or authorized for emergency use by the FDA or WHO, prior to being granted access to any NYFA facility (including, for NY students, access to EHS residential housing) and participating in in-person instruction and activities. Students are required to submit their COVID-19 Vaccination Cards at least 15 days prior to Day One of Orientation Week (long-term students) or Orientation Day (short-term students). Students will be considered fully vaccinated if their second or terminal dose of an approved COVID-19 vaccine was administered at least 14 days prior to the first day of Orientation. For detailed information, please read carefully the NFYA COVID-19 Vaccination Policy.
COVID-19 Vaccination Requirements for Employees
NYFA will be requiring all faculty and staff, for the 2021-2022 academic year, to be fully vaccinated with a COVID-19 vaccine, fully approved by the FDA or authorized for emergency use by the FDA or WHO, to gain access to any NYFA facility.
Reporting Your Vaccination by Submitting Your COVID-19 Vaccination Card
New Long-Term Students, New Short-Term Students, and Students Returning from Withdrawal: Please upload a photo of your COVID-19 Vaccination Card to the Student Application Portal 15 days prior to Day One of Orientation Week (long-term students and students returning from extended leave) or Orientation Day (short-term students), indicating that you are fully vaccinated and that the second or only needed dose of an authorized vaccine was administered at least 14 days prior to Day One of Orientation Week (long-term students) or Orientation Day (short-term students).
Continuing Students and Students Returning From Leave of Absence: Please upload a photo/PDF/copy of your COVID-19 Vaccination Card, as soon as possible and no later than 15 days prior to program start date to the Continuing Student Registration Form on the Student HUB indicating that you are fully vaccinated and that the second or only needed dose of an authorized vaccine was administered at least 14 days prior to program start date. If you have already submitted your Vaccination Card to the COVID-19 Administrator, no further action is required at this time.
Employees: Please upload a photo/PDF/copy of your COVID-19 Vaccination Card to the Employee Paycom Portal by the date designated by HR. The COVID-19 Vaccination Card must indicate that you are fully vaccinated and that the second or only needed dose of an authorized vaccine was administered at least 14 days prior to the first day you are scheduled to work for the 2021/2022 academic year.
Securing a Vaccination
Vaccination is free and available in the United States for any person 12 years of age or older. Please, visit www.vaccines.gov to find a vaccination site near you.
Requesting Medical Exemptions from the COVID-19 Vaccination Requirement
Students and employees must submit an application to request a medical exemption. Only completed applications will be reviewed. To apply for a medical exemption, please read, complete and follow all guidelines, as noted in the Request for Medical Exemption of Immunization Form.
Medical documents submitted will be read and filed in accordance with all relevant privacy laws.
For additional information about the COVID-19 vaccine and other NYFA health and safety guidelines, please consult NYFA COVID-19 Health and Campus Guidelines and Information and, specifically, the section titled, Getting Vaccinated Against COVID-19.
Important Information for International Students
Effective Nov. 8, 2021, all non U.S. citizens will be required to be fully vaccinated in order to gain entry to the U.S. The CDC has published a short list of countries exempt from this requirement and this list will be updated every three months. For detailed information regarding the U.S. vaccination requirement and possible exemptions please read and consult Requirements for Proof of COVID-19 Vaccination for Air Passengers andTechnical Instructions for Implementing Presidential Proclamation for Advancing Safe Resumption of Global Travel published and routinely updated by the CDC.
_____________________________________________________________________COVID -19 Vaccination Requirements FAQs
Q: Why is NYFA requiring students and employees to receive the COVID-19 vaccine?
A: Only by mandating COVID-19 vaccinations for students and employees can NYFA safely and comfortably offer in person instruction and the robust campus experience provided during pre-pandemic times. Mandating the COVID -19 vaccine is also recommended by the American College Health Association (ACHA). Lastly, from a public health and community perspective, requiring the COVID-19 vaccine helps alleviate the anxiety and fear faculty, staff and students may have about being infected by SARS-CoV-2 while being on campus and participating in NYFA activities.
Q: How can NYFA mandate a vaccine that is approved for emergency use only?
A: Hundreds of reputable colleges and universities mandated the COVID-19 vaccinations for students and employees in preparation for Fall 2021. Soon after the start of the fall semester, the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine received full approval by the FDA. NYFA’s position on the COVID-19 vaccination policy is consistent with the legal authority and the American College Health Association (ACHA) in supporting this policy.
Q: Do I have to pay to be vaccinated?
A: No. COVID-19 vaccinations are free in the US and in countries around the world.
Q: Am I exempt from the vaccine if I have previously had COVID-19 and test positive for antibodies?
A: No. In compliance with CDC guidance, NYFA will require that you get vaccinated, even though you are fully recovered from COVID-19. It remains unclear as to how long those with prior COVID-19 illness remain protected against new infections.
IMPORTANT: If you received monoclonal antibodies or convalescent plasma while treated for severe COVID-19, consult with your healthcare provider before getting the COVID-19 vaccine.
Q: Will students under age 18 be required to be vaccinated?
A: Yes. Since a COVID-19 vaccine is available in the US to any person 5 years of age or older, all short-term and long-term students are eligible for vaccination and will be required to be fully vaccinated before attending in-person classes or activities and, for NY students only, before moving into EHS residential housing.
Q: Which vaccines does NYFA consider “approved”?
A: NYFA is accepting COVID-19 vaccines that have been approved by the FDA and vaccines that are authorized by the FDA and WHO for emergency use.
Students and employees who submit proof of having received all required doses of COVID-19 vaccines that are approved for emergency use by the drug regulatory agencies of their home countries (yet such vaccines are not yet approved for emergency use by the WHO or FDA) will be granted entry to campus, but will be required to follow all health and safety protocols for the unvaccinated, as described in the NYFA COVID Safety Plan.
Q: What does it mean to be fully vaccinated?
A: In accordance with public health guidelines, students and employees will be considered fully vaccinated once they have received all needed doses of vaccines approved by the FDA. or authorized for emergency use by the FDA or WHO., when:
Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna: Two weeks or more have passed since receiving the second dose.
Johnson & Johnson/Janssen: Two weeks or more have passed since receiving one dose of a single-dose vaccine.
Vaccines not approved for emergency use in the US but approved for emergency use by the WHO: Two weeks have passed since receiving all required doses of vaccines.
Q: What if I am fully vaccinated by a vaccine that is not approved for emergency use by either the FDA or the WHO?
For students/employees having received all required doses of vaccines approved for emergency use not by F. D. A and not by the W. H. O, but approved by the drug regulatory agencies in the students/employees’ home countries : Once two weeks or more have passed since receiving the final dose of the authorized vaccine, these students/employees will be granted entry to campus and permitted to participate in in-person classes and activities. However, these students/employees will be required to follow all health and safety guidelines as described in the NYFA COVID Safety Plan for unvaccinated individuals, such as weekly on-campus COVID-19 diagnostic testing, self-quarantine post travel and exposure, etc.
Q: When must I submit proof of my COVID-19 vaccination?
A: New students are required to submit their photos/PDFs/copies of their COVID-19 vaccination cards documenting full vaccination status 15 days prior to Day One of Orientation Week (long-term students) or Orientation Day (short-term students). COVID-19 vaccination cards must indicate the type of vaccine administered and the dates of each administered dose.
Continuing students and students resuming their programs spring semester after a Leave of Absence are required to submit their photos/PDFs/copies of their COVID-19 vaccination cards documenting full vaccination status, preferably before December 15, 2021 and absolutely no later than 15 days prior to program start date or January 10, 2022. COVID-19 vaccination cards must indicate the type of vaccine administered and the dates of each administered dose.
NY Students wishing to reside in EHS residential housing are required to submit proof of vaccination no later than December 6, 2021.
Employees are to submit their COVID-19 vaccination cards once they have received all doses needed for the particular vaccine administered, and by the date designated by HR. The COVID-19 Vaccination Card must indicate that the second or only needed dose of an authorized vaccine was administered at least 14 days prior to the first day you are scheduled to work for the 2021/2022 academic year.
Q: How long does the vaccine last?
A: The duration of immunity conferred by the approved COVID-19 vaccines remains unknown. Although some infectious disease experts suggest that immunity may last for years, the large and reviewed studies, at this time, suggest that immunity derived from the authorized vaccines lasts at least 6 months; the need for booster vaccines or annual immunization is currently being investigated. Presently, in the U.S., Pfizer and Moderna booster vaccines are accessible to individuals who are immunocompromised, age 65 and older, and individuals working in high-risk settings. The Johnson and Johnson vaccine booster vaccine is available to individuals 18 years or older.
Q: Where can I get reliable information about the vaccines- the risk of side effects and the effectiveness of each vaccine?
A: Please consult the CDC for updated and detailed information regarding all we presently know about the vaccines and what we hope to learn from ongoing research.
To date, large scale clinical studies have conclusively determined that all of the vaccines approved for use in the United States prevent most people from developing severe illness.
COVID-19 vaccinations are also an important tool in ending the COVID-19 pandemic.
Q: How will the vaccination requirement affect the existing NYFA health and safety protocols?
A: In response to possible surges of the highly transmissible Delta variant, the emergence of new variants, community metrics such as infection rates and positivity rates in our campus regions, and in compliance with federal, state and local public health guidelines, NYFA will update health and safety protocols in order to minimize virus transmission within our community and safeguard the health and safety of students, faculty and staff. That said, with a significant majority of students/employees vaccinated against COVID-19, NYFA has been able to safely relax some of its prior safety protocols. For example, a relaxation of physical distancing, routine testing and self-quarantine protocols has been possible.
NYFA‘s ventilation and cleaning/disinfecting protocols remain in accordance with CDC guidelines and state and local public health department directives.
Students/employees remain responsible for practicing good personal hygiene, staying home when sick, and getting tested for COVID-19 when experiencing COVID-19 related symptoms.
Regardless of the vaccination requirement, all students and employees are required to wear quality and well-fitted masks whenever on-campus and whenever participating in NYFA in-person classes and NYFA related-activities.
It will be especially important for students who are immunocompromised or granted medical exemptions to observe all CDC health and safety guidelines proven effective for minimizing exposure to the virus and offering protection from contracting COVID-19.
More information on the health and safety protocols that will be required for spring semester will be communicated to the community as spring semester approaches.
Q:Will there be a virtual option for students who do not wish to be vaccinated?
A:Unfortunately, on NYFA campuses offering full time in-person instruction, the alternative of attending classes remotely will no longer be available.
Q: What are my options as a student if I do not qualify for a medical exemption and I do not want to get vaccinated?
A: Unfortunately there are no additional options for entry to the New York Film Academy other than those outlined in our existing policies for each campus.
Questions and Support?
For questions and support please reach out to your campus COVID-19 Administrators:
NY: covidteamny@nyfa.edu
LA: covidteamla@nyfa.edu
SB: covidteamsb@nyfa.edu
_____________________________________________________________________
We are excited to begin the 2021/2022 academic year and the spring semester with the opportunity to learn and work together, in-person, and with hearts and minds relieved of fear.
And we are abundantly grateful to all of you for honoring your pledge to safeguard the health and well-being of the NYFA community!
With appreciation and hope,
The NYFA COVID-19 Response Team
|
|
