Dear Faculty and Staff,

Currently, about 15,000 Duke faculty and staff have received their booster shot for the COVID-19 vaccine. As a reminder, you are eligible to receive a booster shot as long as you meet the time criteria since your last dose, which are described below:

  • Faculty and staff who have received their last dose of Pfizer or Moderna vaccines over 6 months ago. 
  • Faculty and staff who have received their initial dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine at least two months ago and are 18 years of age or older.

Duke has already seen a recent uptick in positive cases in the last couple weeks, and we are seeing a rise in cases in Europe and in some northerns states. Getting a booster shot can help protect you, as well as your friends and family as we move into the holiday season when more people are expected to travel and gather in larger groups.

Employee vaccination clinics are located at Blue Devil Tower, Duke University Hospital, Duke Raleigh Hospital and Duke Regional Hospital by appointment (except at DRAH). Specifics about each clinic’s location and operating hours can be found on the Duke COVID Vaccine website. Appointments are being added regularly, so please check back later if you do not find an available appointment. 

Duke medical experts suggest that anyone who received the J&J vaccine preferentially get a booster shot of either Pfizer or Moderna, which have been proven highly effective in preventing infection and severe illness. A booster with the J&J vaccine also remains an alternative for these individuals. 

If you have already received your booster shot from an outside provider, please submit documention to Employee Occupational Health and Wellness using the VaxTrax online form.

While the booster shot is not a condition of employment for Duke University or Duke University Health System at this time, we encourage all eligible individuals to receive a booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine to protect you and others from potential infection. 

Thank you for your efforts to keep the Duke community safe. Please continue wearing a mask, washing your hands frequently and maintaining social distance.

Kyle Cavanaugh,
Vice President, Administration, Duke University

Carol Epling, MD, MSPH
Assistant Professor in Family Medicine and Community Health

Gail Shulby, RN, MA, CPP
Chief of Staff to the Executive Vice President, Duke Health

Cameron R. Wolfe, MBBS (Hons), MPH, FIDSA
Associate Professor of Medicine, Infectious Diseases, Duke Health

Co-Leaders of the COVID-19 Vaccination Planning Work Group