COVID-19 Vaccination Requirement

The applicant must receive one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine if a dose is due at the time of the exam according to current CDC guidance. Now, like other vaccine requirements, additional doses are no longer required, and applicants do not have to postpone completion of the exam to complete the primary series of the COVID-19 vaccine. Applicants who have completed any approved* primary COVID-19 series prior to the exam require no additional COVID-19 doses for immigration. Those who have not should receive a bivalent vaccine according to current CDC guidance. For applicants who have received one or more doses but have not completed the primary series and are not yet due for the next dose in the series at the time of the exam, use the “Insufficient time interval between doses” blanket waiver. As with other vaccinations, additional doses recommended for older age groups, health conditions or immunocompromise are not required for completion of this exam. Although booster doses are not currently required, please refer to this page frequently for future guidance regarding a COVID-19 boosting schedule.

* The COVID-19 vaccines approved for use in these Technical Instructions are those vaccines authorized for emergency use (EUA) or approved under a Biologics License Application (BLA) by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or listed for emergency use (EUL) by the World Health Organization (WHO).

SOURCE: Vaccination Technical Instructions for Civil Surgeons | CDC