Important COVID Policy Update Regarding Boosters

Dear Beach Community:

As you may have already heard, the California State University announced that it will be updating its SARS-CoV-2 immunization policy to require a booster shot for faculty, staff, and students who are accessing university facilities and programs.

While many of our campus community members have already received their booster shot, the new requirement calls for boosters to be received by February 28, 2022, or six months after an individual received the final dose of the original vaccination, whichever is later. 

The revised policy will be immediately applicable to students and non-represented staff. While represented employees will not be subject to the booster requirement until the CSU concludes its meet-and-confer process with labor unions, we encourage all members of our community to receive boosters now.

This is an appropriate modification to our approach given the current surge in infections of the Omicron variant. Omicron is now the most prevalent form of the virus in the United States. In fact, the number of infections nationwide has increased five-fold in just the last week. Vaccination – including a booster when eligible – remains our most effective strategy against infection and severe disease.

We remain in close communication with medical experts and public-health officials as we carefully monitor information regarding the variant’s spread and virulence. If circumstances warrant additional adjustments to university guidance and policy, such adjustments will be informed – as they have been throughout the pandemic – by our commitment to safeguard the health and well-being of our students, faculty, and staff, and to ensure our students’ continued academic progress.

Details about the process for amending your online Vaccine Certification to include information about your booster shot will be sent in January. In the meantime, I encourage you to seek out a booster shot as soon as possible if you haven’t already done so. We will continue to update our COVID-19 information website in the new year with information about on-campus vaccination resources.

Despite these ongoing challenges as we confront the pandemic, I hope you all have a safe and rejuvenating break and I look forward to seeing you in 2022.