Updated: September 15, 2022, at 2:30 p.m.
Submit your vaccination records today!
All CWU students who have in-person, distance learning, or hybrid classes must submit proof of COVID-19 vaccination to be eligible to register for classes for the 2022-23 academic year. (Students who are enrolled in a 100% online program and taking only online courses are exempt from the policy, but must be able to provide proof of fully remote status.)
Please submit your records today, if you haven't already done so. Students can upload their information at medproctor.com — as they have done with other vaccination records (MMR, smallpox, polio, etc.) — or visit one of our on-campus ambassadors with their vaccination card and picture ID. A list of vaccination verification stations is available at cwu.edu/vaccination-verification.
If you have questions about this process, visit the Employee FAQ and Student FAQ pages.
Where to get vaccinated
A number of local pharmacies, including Safeway, Fred Meyer, and Bi-Mart, are adminstering vaccines. Use the vaccine locator tool to find a location near you. If you have questions about where to get an appointment, contact the Kittitas County Public Health Department.
To learn more about CWU’s vaccination requirement, click here.
Approved Vaccines Are Safe
The federal government has authorized and recommended three vaccines in the United States to prevent COVID-19: Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson. The main difference between the three is that Pfizer and Moderna vaccines require two doses about one month apart, and the Johnson & Johnson requires just one dose.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):
- All of the COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective.
- Millions of people in the United States have received COVID-19 vaccines under the most intense safety monitoring in U.S. history.
- CDC recommends you get a COVID-19 vaccine as soon as possible.
- Many people have reported only mild side effects after COVID-19 vaccination
Long-term side effects are unlikely
Serious side effects that could cause a long-term health problem are extremely unlikely following any vaccination, including COVID-19 vaccination. Vaccine monitoring has historically shown that side effects generally happen within six weeks of receiving a vaccine dose. For this reason, the FDA required each of the authorized vaccines to be studied for at least two months (eight weeks) after the final dose. Millions of people have received COVID-19 vaccines, and no long-term side effects have been detected.
The CDC continues to closely monitor the safety of COVID-19 vaccines. If scientists find a connection between a safety issue and a vaccine, FDA and the vaccine manufacturer will work toward an appropriate solution to address the specific safety concern (for example, a problem with a specific lot, a manufacturing issue, or the vaccine itself).
Common Vaccine Myths
Will a COVID-19 vaccine alter my DNA?
No. COVID-19 vaccines do not change or interact with your DNA in any way. There are currently two types of COVID-19 vaccines that have been authorized and recommended for use in the United States: messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines and a viral vector vaccine. Both mRNA and viral vector COVID-19 vaccines deliver instructions (genetic material) to our cells to start building protection against the virus.
Learn more about how mRNA COVID-19 vaccines work.
Is it safe for me to get a COVID-19 vaccine if I want to have a baby one day?
Yes. If you are trying to become pregnant now or want to get pregnant in the future, you may get a vaccine when one is available to you. There is currently no evidence that COVID-19 vaccination causes any problems with pregnancy, including the development of the placenta. In addition, there is no evidence that fertility problems are a side effect of any vaccine, including COVID-19 vaccines.
Like all vaccines, scientists are studying COVID-19 vaccines carefully for side effects now and will continue to study them for many years.