In support of vaccination
In consideration of an abundance of research about the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, including the advice of our trusted medical consultants, The Eco-Institute maintains that a safer and healthier future will be made possible by mass vaccination efforts and other careful public health measures. At this time, based on the proven safety and efficacy of the vaccine and the incredible amount of work that has gone toward careful testing, continuous safety monitoring, education, availability, and access, we feel strongly that, for those who are able, seeking full vaccination, including a booster shot, for COVID-19 is one of the most important efforts an individual can make in solidarity with more vulnerable populations in this difficult time.
Eco-Institute’s Covid Council
The Eco-Institute has formed a Covid Council dedicated to protecting residents and residential participants to the best of our ability. The Covid Council is currently composed of directors Meg Toben, Alison Sever, Jennifer Chafe, and Dr. Janaka Lagoo, Board Member and Medical Doctor who holds a Master’s Degree in Public Health. The Covid Council has consulted with and received volumes of input from Eco-Institute Staff, Board, program participants and experts in public health.
UPDATED POLICY FOR RESIDENTIAL PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS AND FACILITATORS TO INCLUDE A BOOSTER SHOT
Therefore, beginning on February 14, 2022, The Eco-Institute will require that all residential program participants and facilitators be fully vaccinated* against COVID-19, with the definition of fully vaccinated be expanded to include having received a booster shot.
*A fully vaccinated status is achieved 2 weeks from the time of administration of the booster dose of either the Pfizer-BioNTech or the Moderna vaccine. Currently the CDC recommends either getting the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine as the booster shot for most situations. See here for more info.
This policy is subject to limited exemptions (see below). Proof of COVID-19 vaccination, or a request for exemption must be received no later than 1 month after acceptance to the residential program or 1 month prior to the first date of residency, whichever is sooner.
Exemptions:
All requests for exemptions will be reviewed and deliberated by the Eco-Institute Covid Council. We strive for compassionate communication at every step, and we reserve the right to deny requests for exemptions. Exemptions may be requested on the basis of:
Medical contraindications, or precautions recognized by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) or Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC);
A sincerely held religious belief, practice or observance (a general philosophical or moral objection to immunization will be given review with more rigorous scrutiny).
Click here to read the exemption procedure and policy in full.
Recognizing the racialized vaccination gap
As we stand behind the above policy, we cannot ignore the racialized vaccination gap that exists in North Carolina, and in the U.S. as a whole.
Many Communities of Color have historically been traumatized by the medical establishment—from egregious breaches of trust like Sims, Lacks, and Tuskegee, to the current, systemic, and everyday racism pervasive in wellness spaces today. The harm committed to communities of color shapes social determinants that contribute to their increased risk of infection, hospitalization, and death due to COVID-19 and demands compassion and nuance from public health officials in vaccine rollout efforts. No doubt, rebuilding trust with communities of color is an essential effort toward herd immunity and a post-COVID-19 world.
As a community, we stand behind our beliefs: in the importance of mass vaccination in confronting COVID-19, in the sacred work of addressing harm and inequity in the healthcare system, and the role of conscientious education toward those ends.
We celebrate the research and advocacy efforts of Black Coalition Against Covid, former first lady Michelle Obama, celebrated immunologist and UNC alum Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett, and LATIN-19, a local advocacy initiative by Duke doctors Gabriela Maradiaga Panayotti and Viviana Martinez-Bianchi.
As a Learning Community, we aim to do whatever we can to remove barriers to vaccine equity, and we are happy to support prospective participants with logistical and, if needed, financial support in setting up appointments for the COVID-19 vaccine.
Further, Eco-Institute Board Member, Dr. Janaka Lagoo, Medical Doctor with a Master’s degree in Public Health, and a person of color, is most open to having a conversation with any and all individuals who might have any hesitancy about the COVID-19 vaccine.
One day soon, we hope, COVID-19 will join the list of pandemics that are now in the past. Our fervent prayer is that we are able to build, tend, and share in trust as we step together toward a healthier future.
Signed,
Meg Toben, Alison Westbrook, Jenny Chafe and Dr. Janaka Lagoo
Eco-Institute Covid Council