Vaccine Management System
Johns Hopkins affiliates who are required to be vaccinated—and who were not vaccinated at a Johns Hopkins Medicine facility—must upload a photo of their COVID-19 vaccination record to the JHU Vaccine Management System. Affiliates may also submit an exception request in the VMS.
Your vaccination record photo must clearly show your name and that you have been fully vaccinated. For those who have received a two-dose vaccine (e.g., Pfizer and Moderna), your documentation must indicate that you have received your second dose.
Submitting Proof of Vaccination
Use the VMS to submit documentation of both COVID-19 and flu vaccinations.
- Start by selecting which vaccine is being documented and confirming your identity
- Enter the vaccine manufacturer and each date that you received a vaccine dose
- Upload a photo of your CDC COVID-19 vaccination record card if you were vaccinated in the U.S.; if you do not have a CDC card, you may upload other forms of documentation if they are in English (by a certified translation, if necessary) and from an official source such as your health care provider. Translation services are available via Orbit Translation.
If you were vaccinated in Maryland; Washington, D.C., or West Virginia, you can register and obtain your COVID-19 vaccination record from Maryland MyIR, a free website service that allows consumers to view and print copies of their official vaccination records directly from ImmuNet, Maryland’s immunization information system. Just register, download or print a copy of your certification of vaccination, and upload it into VMS.
Your doctor’s office or the location where you were vaccinated (e.g., CVS, Walgreens, etc.) should also have a record and you should reach out to them to get a copy. Often you can find this under your immunization or prescription website on the patient portal or pharmacy website.
After submitting your documentation, you will receive an email at your JHU email address, and you will receive a second email when the documentation has been reviewed and approved. If your documentation is not approved (e.g., your card is not in English, is not legible, etc.), you will receive an email explaining the issue with instructions for how to upload the corrected information.
Questions regarding this process and the status of your vaccine documentation should be directed to VMS@jhu.edu.
Request an Exception
Start by selecting the vaccine (flu, COVID-19, or COVID-19 booster) and the type of exception you are requesting—religious and medical. There are only two exception types available:
- Religious Exceptions: Follow the on-screen instructions to provide your contact information, the reason for your request, information about any previous religious exceptions that you may have been granted, and documentation to support your belief(s) and the need for an accommodation (if possible). Note that JHU representatives may need to discuss the nature of your religious accommodation with your religion’s spiritual leader (if applicable) or religious scholars to address your request.
- Medical Exceptions: The easiest way to request a medical exception is to complete a Medical Exception Form, which you can download here or through VMS. Your health care provider will need to complete and sign the form AND provide a signed and dated letter with the information requested in the form (documentation or medical records supporting your request). Once you have the completed form, access VMS, enter your preferred contact information and contact information for your physician, then upload a scan or photo of the form. Other forms of documentation may be accepted, but they must include all of the information that is on the Medical Exception Form.
There are only two reasons that a medical exception will be granted:- History of a previous allergic reaction and documentation to indicate an immediate hypersensitivity reaction to the COVID-19 vaccine or a component of the vaccine.
- Treatment of COVID-19 symptoms with monoclonal antibodies or convalescent plasma within the last 90 days. If this option applies, you will be required to upload vaccination documentation after the 90-day waiting period has elapsed.
Before you submit a request for any type of exception, you must
- Verify that the information you submit is complete and accurate to the best of your knowledge
- Acknowledge your understanding that any intentional misrepresentation may result in disciplinary action, including employment termination
You will receive an email at your JHU email address when your request for an exception has been submitted and another email if it has been approved. Not all requests for exceptions will be granted. If your request is not approved and/or if additional information is needed, a JHU representative will contact you with instructions for how to proceed.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I report my vaccination status?
All JHU affiliates must log in to the Vaccine Management System (VMS) to upload their flu, COVID, and COVID booster vaccination documentation.
Last updated: Jan 12, 2022 3:53pm
How will the university verify COVID vaccine records from other countries in other languages?
The university asks that vaccination documentation in other languages be translated (and certified) before they are uploaded to the forthcoming Vaccine Management System. All affiliates will electronically sign their submission to affirm that the information that they provided is accurate.
Last updated: June 22, 2021 12:15pm
How can JHU ask about my vaccine status? Isn’t this a HIPAA violation?
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has confirmed that Federal EEO laws do not prevent an employer from requiring all employees physically entering the workplace to be vaccinated for COVID-19, so long as employers provide reasonable accommodations and other EEO considerations. The EEOC does not consider questions about vaccination status to be medical inquiries. HIPAA, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, provides protections for patients’ confidential health information, and it covers what your health care provider can share with others—not employers and what they can ask for.
Last updated: June 23, 2021 5:01pm
What file types are acceptable for uploading proof of vaccination?
You can upload a JPEG, HEIC (iPhone), or PNG photo of your vaccination card or a PDF copy of a vaccination record.
Last updated: July 22, 2021 10:45am
What do I do if I lost my vaccination card?
If you were vaccinated in Maryland; West Virginia; or Washington, D.C., you can register and obtain your COVID-19 vaccination record from Maryland MyIR, a free website service that allows consumers to view and print copies of their official vaccination records directly from ImmuNet, Maryland’s immunization information system. Just register, download or print a copy of your certification of vaccination, and upload it into VMS.
If you were not vaccinated in Maryland, your doctor’s office or the location where you were vaccinated (e.g., CVS, Walgreens, etc.) should also have a record and you should reach out to them to get a copy. You may also be able to locate this on your patient portal or on the pharmacy website under prescription records or immunization record. You can find your state’s immunization records system at this link provided by the CDC.
Last updated: July 18, 2022 1:45pm
Booster requirement
How will I know when I’m due to get my booster?
You are eligible for the original booster if you got your second shot of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine five months ago or more, or the single shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine more than two months ago. You are eligible for the new bivalent booster if you got your final baseline shot more than two months ago.
Note: The JHU requirement is that a Pfizer or Moderna booster must be completed six months after the date of your last Pfizer/Moderna vaccination or two months after your J&J vaccination (even if you became eligible sooner, based on the type of vaccine that you got). You will have two weeks after the deadline to upload your documentation to the Vaccine Management System.
Last updated: Sep 23, 2022 9:50am
Which boosters are being accepted?
Only mRNA boosters (Pfizer/Moderna) will be accepted. If you already received a J&J booster, you may wait six months to get the mRNA booster. If you were vaccinated with a non-FDA-approved vaccine (e.g., Sinopharm, Sinovac, etc.), you are immediately eligible for a booster (you may wait 28 days following your last dose). Only one booster dose (either Pfizer or Moderna) is required for those individuals.
Last updated: Sep 23, 2022 9:52am
What if I already had the J&J booster?
If you have already had two shots of the J&J vaccine (a base dose and a J&J booster), you should get a Pfizer or Moderna booster when you become eligible, six months after your second J&J shot. Make sure your J&J booster date is uploaded in the Vaccine Management System.
Last updated: Sep 23, 2022 9:54am
How do I upload the booster documentation?
Log in to Vaccine Management System and select “Submit new vaccination.” Then select “COVID-19 Booster” from the drop-down menu (make sure you don’t select “COVID-19”).
Last updated: Dec 27, 2021 8:51am
What if I have recently had COVID? Is it safe to get the booster?
Having had COVID-19 in the past is NOT a permissible criterion for an exception. If you didn’t get monoclonal antibodies during your infection, then you can get the booster as soon as you have left isolation and are symptom-free. At that point you may get boosted at any local pharmacy or doctor’s office. Note: If you prefer to book a booster at a Johns Hopkins clinic or physician’s office, MyChart will only allow you to do so beginning on Day 21 after a positive test.
If you did receive monoclonal antibodies as a part of your treatment, you should wait 90 days before you get the booster.
If you are symptomatic with a COVID-19 infection, you are permitted to delay receiving your booster until symptoms resolve. In these cases, you should request a medical postponement in the Vaccine Management System so that you get the additional time. To do so, log in to VMS and select “Request exception” and the system will lead you through the process.
Last updated: Sep 23, 2022 10:07am
What if my COVID shot was not one of the three main vaccines? Do I need to be revaccinated before I get the booster?
If you have gotten a vaccine authorized by the World Health Organization but not one authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, you are immediately eligible for a booster (you may wait 28 days following your last dose). Only one booster dose (either Pfizer or Moderna) is required for those individuals.
This is a change from previous university policy (which required those with international vaccines to be revaccinated), based on emerging science related to the efficacy of boosters.
Last updated: Sep 23, 2022 10:11am
