As many of you may know, President Joe Biden recently signed Executive Order 14042, which has been the focus of guidance from the Safer Federal Workforce Task Force. This order and guidance from the federal government require all federal contractors and subcontractors to mandate COVID-19 vaccinations for employees, including those who work at a university with federal contracts.

As a federal contractor, UAH, like most higher education institutions, must comply with the Executive Order and accompanying guidance. Consequently, the University is required to ensure that all UAH employees are fully vaccinated for COVID-19 by December 8, 2021, unless they have an approved medical, disability, or religious exemption. “Fully vaccinated” is defined as two weeks post-final dose.

Because this vaccination requirement is mandated by the federal government, UAH does not have flexibility in its application or enforcement. Failure to comply will place UAH in jeopardy of losing hundreds of millions of dollars that we receive through federal contracts and awards as well as hundreds of jobs funded, in part, by those dollars.

We continue to closely examine and monitor these federal mandates. If you have not yet been vaccinated, you should begin the process promptly to ensure compliance by the December 8 deadline. The timeframes in which you should act vary, depending on the vaccine manufacturer:

  • Pfizer: The first dose must be administered no later than five weeks in advance of December 8, which is November 3, and the second dose by November 24.
  • Moderna: The first dose must be administered no later than six weeks in advance of December 8, which is October 27, and the second dose no later than November 24.
  • Johnson & Johnson: The single required dose must be administered no later than November 24.

UAH currently has free Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines available. Appointments can be made through the UAH Health Portal or by calling 256.824.2400.

We will follow up soon with more detailed guidance, including information on uploading records and applying for medical, disability, or religious exemptions. Please note that if you have already uploaded your vaccination record, there is no need to upload it again. Thank you for your attention to this important matter.

For more information, please review the Frequently Asked Questions webpage. For questions, email covid19@uah.edu or call 256-824-2210.