Information for International Students
Important Vaccine and Booster Information for Students Arriving from Outside the United States
Updated: Mar 10, 2023
The CDC does not require air passengers traveling from a foreign country to the United States to show a negative COVID-19 viral test or documentation of recovery from COVID-19 before they board their flight.
Please note: These protocols are subject to change. Refer to the latest CDC guidance regarding Non-U.S. citizens and Non-U.S. immigrants traveling to the United States
Effective Feb 9, 2023: The University of Maryland no longer requires proof of COVID-19 vaccination. However, we strongly recommend that you stay up to date on your COVID vaccines and boosters with a WHO-approved vaccine. A list of WHO-approved vaccines is below.
Starting March 10, 2023 at 3pm ET, air passengers will no longer need to get tested and show the negative COVID-19 test result, or show documentation of recovery from COVID-19, prior to boarding a flight to the U.S. from the People’s Republic of China, Hong Kong, and Macau, or through a Designated Airport. For more information, visit cdc.gov.
For students arriving in the U.S.
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It is strongly recommended that you get tested with a viral test 3-5 days after arrival unless you have documentation of having recovered from COVID-19 in the past 90 days.
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No self-quarantine protocol is required, but you should self-monitor for symptoms, and test if you experience any symptoms. If you have questions or concerns about potential COVID symptoms, please contact the HEAL Line at 301-405-4325. If you test positive, you must report your result to return.umd.edu.
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Scroll down to see the answers to Frequently Asked Questions about COVID Boosters.
WHO Approved COVID Vaccines
*The following vaccines have FDA EUA authorization and/or are WHO-authorized.
|
Platform |
Vaccine Name |
Manufacturer |
|---|---|---|
|
mRNA |
BNT162b2/Tozinameran/COMIRNATY® |
Pfizer-BioNTech |
|
mRNA |
mRNA-1273 |
Moderna |
|
Ad26 |
Ad26.COV2.S |
Johnson & Johnson |
|
ChAdOx1 |
Azd1222 |
Oxford/AstraZeneca |
|
ChAdOx1 |
Covishield (ChAdOx1_nCoV-19) |
Serum Institute India |
|
Inactivated virus/Produced in Vero Cells |
SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine (Vero Cell), Inactivated (InCoV) |
Sinopharm/BIBP |
| Inactivated virus/Produced in Vero Cells | COVID-19 Vaccine (Vero Cell), Inactivated/Coronavac™ | Sinovac |
|
Whole-virion inactivated Vero Cell |
SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine, Inactivated (Vero Cell)/ COVAXIN | Bharat Biotech, India |
| Recombinant nanoparticle prefusion spike protein formulated with Matrix-M™ adjuvant |
NVX-CoV2373/Nuvaxovid NVX-CoV2373/Covovax D |
Novavax Covavax |
Non-U.S. citizen, non-U.S. immigrants must show proof of being fully vaccinated with the primary series of an accepted COVID-19 vaccine before you board your flight to the United States. Only limited exceptions apply.
For students who are not fully vaccinated but are allowed to travel to the United States by air through an exception:
- You should consider getting tested with a viral test 3-5 days after arrival, unless you have documentation of having recovered from COVID-19 in the past 90 days.
- Call the UHC at 301-314-8180 if you need assistance with locating a COVID-19 test.
- If you test positive, you must report your results at return.umd.edu.
- You will need to isolate if your test result is positive or you develop COVID-19 symptoms.
- Please reach out to the health center by emailing health@umd.edu for guidance if you have any questions about your circumstances.
Frequently Asked Questions about COVID Boosters
I was initially vaccinated with a WHO approved vaccine outside of the US. Which booster can I receive?
If it has been 5 months since you were vaccinated with all the recommended doses of a WHO authorized vaccine, you can get a single booster shot of Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. For more information, click here. The UHC has appointments available for the Pfizer vaccine.
It has been less than 5 months since I completed my last dose of COVID vaccine abroad. What should I do?
If you received a dose of a WHO authorized vaccine outside of the US, you will need to wait to receive your first booster until you are eligible, which is 5 months after completing the initial COVID vaccine series.
Once I am eligible for a booster, how can I schedule an appointment for a vaccine?
A limited number of appointments for the Moderna Bivalent Booster are available at the UHC. Please visit myuhc.umd.edu to schedule an appointment. If you do not see any appointments available, check back often. We recommend that you schedule as soon as you become eligible.
Is there any cost for the vaccine?
The COVID vaccine is free, and there is no cost to you. If you have health insurance, please bring your insurance card with you to your vaccine appointment, as we do process your visit through insurance.