Covid-19 Information & Updates

All students are required to verify their booster shot no later than February 1^st

The CDC recently updated the eligibility period for the booster, as follows:

o If your initial vaccination was Moderna or Pfizer, you qualify five months after your second dose. 

o If your initial vaccination was Johnson & Johnson, you qualify two months after your single dose.

You can submit verification through our patient portal by logging in and clicking on the “Upload” tab and selecting “COVID vaccine documentation” to upload the paperwork.

You can request a medical or religious exemption following the original vaccine requirement exemption process.If you have not received your booster yet, please review “Where Can I Get a Vaccine?” The town of Amherst also holds a booster clinic each Thursday. There will also be another Booster clinic on campus on January 25th, 2022.

Amherst College is requiring that all students be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 before returning to campus for the fall 2021 semester. Students should verify that they are fully vaccinated prior to their fall 2021 arrival by uploading vaccine records to the Keefe Health Center patient portal. Please submit documentation through our patient portal by logging in, clicking on the upload tab, and selecting “Covid vaccine documentation” to upload the paperwork.  For international students or others who do not have access to full vaccination with an approved vaccine prior to arrival, the health center will help with obtaining the vaccine in the Amherst area upon arrival. It is our hope that these vaccination requirements for all students will provide additional protection for everyone in our community and be reassuring to you personally as we begin to return to campus in August. To review information on benefits of the vaccine, please click on the following link.

We are currently accepting any vaccine approved by the WHO.

Requests for medical or religious exemptions will be reviewed and accommodated on a case-by-case basis.

Request for COVID-19 Vaccine Religious Exemption

Request for COVID-19 Vaccine Medical Exemption

The college is aware that students may have a medical condition that does not allow for vaccination. Medical exemption can be requested by submitting a letter of explanation from a licensed medical provider (i.e.; MD, DO, NP, PA) who is not a family member. The letter must include the student’s name and date of birth and be submitted to Keefe Health Center via fax, email, portal upload, or mail. Qualifying medical conditions include history of severe or immediate allergic reaction of varying degrees to a previous dose or component of the Covid-19 vaccine, known diagnosed allergy to a component of the Covid-19 vaccine, or other significant medical condition described by the medical provider.  Requests will be reviewed by a medical professional and, if found to meet qualifications, approved within 10 business days.  

5.24.2021

Dear New and Returning Students,

With the COVID19 pandemic a part of your everyday life, it is of vital importance to understand how to attend to your health care needs when you arrive on campus.

Below are changes that have been made to start the fall semester in response to the COVID19 pandemic.

Routine COVID testing for students without any symptoms of illness will continue to be done at Alumni House. Please refer to Fall 2021 Health & Safety Protocols for most current testing requirements.

Accessing care at the Keefe Health Center is by appointment only. To book an appointment, call 413-542-2267 or email www.healthservice@amherst.edu. Appointments at the Health Center will be largely routine, preventative care, and non-upper respiratory visits. Telehealth appointments are available and may be recommended by Health Services staff when appropriate. Upper respiratory and related sick visits will be seen at the Acute Care Clinic (see below). 

ACUTE CARE CLINIC: The Acute Care Clinic is located on the first floor of Residence Hall A (Formerly Taplin). This clinic will be seeing students with respiratory illnesses including those with COVID-19 type symptoms. The clinic will also be seeing students with other acute care needs as well. Accessing care for the clinic will also be by appointment only. Call 413-542-2267 and you will be instructed how. External doors to the Acute Care Clinic will be locked.

CHECK-IN PROCEDURE: In-person appointments at the Health Center will be checked-in from outside of the buildings at the side entrance next to Moore Dorm. This will be done by mobile device. Appointments at the Acute Care Clinic will be checked-in from the tent near the clinic entrance. Please see New Check-In Procedures for additional instructions.

PRESCRIPTIONS: For those looking to access prescriptions from the Health Center, prescription pick up and drop off will be done from outside the Health Center on the porch accessed from the parking lot on the Residence Hall A (formerly Taplin Hall) side of the building. There will be signs clearly marking this area. Hours for prescription pick-up and drop off are Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 8:30 am-4:30 pm and Wednesdays 10 am- 4:30 pm.

EMERGENCY CARE: Amherst College has its own 24-hour dispatcher. The emergency phone number is 413-542-2111. Please program this into your cell phone if you have one.

The Keefe Health Center Staff welcomes you to campus. Please let us know of any questions that you may have. We will work with you to preserve wellness and prevent illness as best we can during these challenging times. There will continue to be updates and changes. Please see our website for the most current information.

8.18.21