Will Portsmouth Abbey require students, faculty and staff to be vaccinated?
Yes, unless they have a School-approved religious or medical exemption. Portsmouth Abbey will assist those students who are unable to obtain full vaccination before they return to campus.
Beginning in the Fall 2021 term, all community members are required to be fully vaccinated with an FDA or WHO authorized COVID vaccine. This represents the best opportunity to provide a safe and healthy in-person school year and protects our larger campus community.
Please note that the following vaccines are accepted by the RIDOH:
- Moderna (2 doses) FDA emergency use authorized
- Pfizer (2 doses) FDA emergency use authorized
- J&J/Janssen (1 dose) FDA emergency use authorized
- AstraZeneca/Oxford (2 doses) WHO emergency use authorized
- Sinopharm (2 doses) WHO emergency use authorized
- Sinovac (2 doses) WHO emergency use authorized
Parents and students should feel free to contact Mrs. Celia Brown, RN, Director of Medical Services, cbrown@portsmouthabbey.org, 401-643-1233 at any time with questions or concerns that are not answered below. Parents of students who are medically vulnerable, have been diagnosed with chronic conditions, or auto-immune disorders should contact Mrs. Brown to discuss the specifics of their child’s individual needs. Every effort will be made to provide appropriate accommodations for the increased health and safety requirements for these students.
Vaccine exemption requests
In the rare case that a student requires a medical or religious exemption, please contact Celia Brown, RN, Director of Medical Services at cbrown@portsmouthabbey.org to request exemption forms. Medical exemptions may be granted for anyone who has a history of the following: Severe allergic reaction (e.g., anaphylaxis) after a previous dose or to component of the vaccine, or immediate allergic reaction of any severity after a previous dose or known (diagnosed) allergy to a component of the vaccine. Religious exemption requests will be considered for those families who attest to serious concerns about the vaccine being contrary to religious beliefs, practices, or observances.
I plan to request a vaccine exemption. If my request is approved and I remain unvaccinated, what does that mean?
Unvaccinated students are likely to be required to participate in asymptomatic COVID testing on a regular basis. The schedule for testing will be dependent on Rhode Island’s community transmission numbers and other data and guidance provided by RIDOH.
Unvaccinated students will likely have additional testing requirements in order to participate in competitive sports. It is possible that unvaccinated students will not be allowed to compete. This decision will be affected by league and opponent school protocols.
What if I can’t get vaccinated before I arrive?
The Infirmary staff will continue to work with international families who are unable to obtain vaccines at home and would like to have their students vaccinated upon arrival in the United States. Please contact Mrs. Celia Brown, RN, Director of Medical Services at cbrown@portsmouthabbey.org if you need assistance in locating a vaccination site. U.S. resident families are expected to obtain COVID vaccinations over the summer and should NOT plan to have these vaccinations done at school. The larger the percentage of students arriving on campus fully vaccinated, the safer our community will be.
