The University of Alabama announced a new Vaccine Management Portal for UA employees to submit their proof of a COVID-19 vaccination. 

Employees must also use the portal to request medical, disability or religious exemptions. The Department of Human Resources encourages employees to complete the vaccine exemption request form by Nov. 12. 

The University announced compliance with President Joe Biden’s executive order, which requires all UA faculty, staff and student employees to be fully vaccinated by Dec. 8. 

“All employees must take action in the portal,” the Department of Human Resources wrote in an email to employees. “All student employees must also take action in the portal.”

Student employees who submitted vaccination proof at the beginning of the semester for incentives being offered by the University must submit their documentation again.

To comply with the deadline, employees receiving the Moderna vaccine must receive their first dose by Oct. 27, and the second dose no later than Nov. 24 in order to be fully vaccinated. Employees who receive the Pfizer vaccine must receive their two doses by Nov. 3 and Nov 24, respectively. The single dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine must be administered by Nov. 24. 

Appointments for vaccines are available to employees at no cost through the University Medical Center and the Student Health Center. 

Those who were vaccinated through the University at University Medical Center, the Student Health Center or through an on-campus pop-up location only need to give the portal permission to access their vaccination information. 

Those who were vaccinated off-campus must upload proof of vaccination to the Vaccine Management Portal. Acceptable proof includes a Centers for Disease Control COVID-19 Vaccination Record Card, a record of immunization from a health care provider or pharmacy, a medical record that documents vaccination, vaccination records from a public health or state immunization information system, or other official documentation proving vaccination.

The portal was created one week after the University took down the previous reporting tool that students used to submit vaccination proof at the beginning of the semester. The current Vaccine Management Portal can be accessed from the old portal webpage.

In the most recent dashboard update, the University reported eight new COVID-19 infections for the week ending Oct. 24, all of which were among students. At least 62% of students and 72.5% of the faculty and staff have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. 

Gov. Kay Ivey has issued an executive order in an effort to curb compliance with the federal order in the state of Alabama, but the University has not changed its position and will enforce the federal requirement.

Citing its reliance on federal funds, the University said that “UA does not have flexibility in its application or enforcement.”

Correction: On Nov. 4, the phrase was changed to “medical, disability or religious exemption” to reflect the language used in the Vaccine Management Portal.