Colleges and Universities Face Daunting Logistics for Implementing Vaccine Requirements

WILMINGTON, N.C., May 11, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- With COVID-19 continuing to pose a real threat to young adults in the United States, 322 colleges and universities – and counting – are already considering vaccine mandates for their students, faculty and/or staff for the fall semester. But implementing a campus-wide vaccine mandate is incredibly complex, a logistical nightmare requiring compliance with agencies such as the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), HIPPA, Title VII, GINA, CCPA, and GDPR. How do schools execute a vaccination plan while also being mindful of exemption logistics and legal implications?

Navigating the land of acronyms can be daunting, confusing, and overwhelming for colleges and universities since they function dually as workplaces and school spaces. As such, they must provide accommodations for those employees and students who cannot receive vaccines for medical reasons or closely held religious and philosophical beliefs. Creating a process and well-functioning system that allows for the vaccine mandate while upholding legal compliance means that waiver policies have to be implemented to include individuals who have exemption status.

CastleBranch, a North Carolina-based infectious disease screening, compliance management, and nationally accredited consumer reporting agency, is also one of the leading providers of vaccination and immunization tracking in the United States. The company's RealVaccinationID.com cards, endorsed by the Organization for Associate Degree Nursing (OADN) and the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), offer a fair and consistent process to implement a vaccine mandate and accommodate waivers.

The RealVaccinationID.com cards show proof of vaccination status – or communicate a waiver request – on campus and in the community. For colleges and universities, the card acts as an equal-opportunity COVID-19 vaccine credentialing system. The two-card structure adheres to regulatory guidance for exemptions and helps to prevent discrimination lawsuits for which employers enacting vaccine requirements may be vulnerable. The RealVaccinationID.com Vaccination Card or the RealVaccinationID.com Waiver Card provide safe, secure, and convenient proof of vaccination or waiver.

"Any organization with a vaccine mandate must, by law, also have a process in place to accommodate exemptions for medical, religious and/or philosophical beliefs. The regulations are complex – these are waters most have never entered before," said Brett Martin, CastleBranch CEO. "RealVaccinationID.com was designed to help navigate this process all while helping to keep schools, students, faculties and communities safe."

The discreet, driver's license-sized cards contain an individual's name, date of birth, address, photo and vaccination or waiver status with a secure QR code allowing the cardholder to present primary-source supporting documentation upon request. This documentation is submitted to CastleBranch and reviewed by a team of experts prior to issuing an approved card, managed and stored securely online in full compliance with federal rules and regulations.

For more information visit RealVaccinationID.com. 

About CastleBranch:
Located in Wilmington, N.C., CastleBranch is a compliance management and infectious disease screening company serving over 17,700 healthcare programs, tens of millions of individuals, and tens of thousands of employers, schools and healthcare facilities nationwide by verifying identity, tracking over 35 million medical documents, and helping individuals transition to and through professional life. CastleBranch has 20+ years of experience, employs over 500 team members and has a long track record of providing innovative solutions for complex problems.

SOURCE CastleBranch

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