In a memo sent to all 32 NFL teams on December 13, the league is instituting a requirement that all coaches and staff who fall within the definition of Tier 1 or 2 will be required to receive a booster shot against the COVID-19 virus by December 27 or face reassignment to non-contact roles.
The decision comes after 37 players tested positive on Monday, the highest number yet recorded for a single testing day.
“Consistent with our approach since the onset of the global pandemic, we have continued to work with our medical experts to monitor scientific developments and the prevalence of COVID-19 in our communities to identify measures that limit the risk of exposure and to permit us to complete the season in a safe and responsible manner,” the memo issued by the NFL Management Council reads.
The mandate impacts only coaches and other staff that have close contact with players. Under the rules of the NFL, any mandate affecting players must go through the NFL Players Association, the union that negotiates terms with the NFL.
The NFLPA has not yet indicated whether a similar requirement for players will go into effect anytime soon. The NFLPA has voiced support for daily COVID testing rather than the weekly testing currently required.
Booster shots will be required for those who received their vaccine more than a maximum amount of time in the past. Boosters will be required for staff and coaches who received either the Moderna or Pfizer shot if the shot was administered more than six months prior to December 27. For the Johnson & Johnson vaccine recipients, the maximum time is only two months.
The time limit follows guidelines established by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and recognizes that over time, the COVID vaccine can lose effectiveness at preventing serious illness or death.
The CDC has identified that antibodies responsible for preventing illness from COVID developed through the Johnson & Johnson vaccine wane much quicker than those of other vaccines.
Certain individuals are exempt from the booster mandate, according to the memo sent to the teams. Those individuals include anyone who isn’t eligible under CDC guidelines, anyone on “test holiday,” a 90-day period following a confirmed positive test, anyone who received monoclonal antibodies within the preceding 90 days, or anyone whose “S” antibody level as identified using a BRL test is 2500 or greater.
Anyone who becomes eligible will have 14 days to receive a booster shot.
“We recommend that clubs arrange to provide booster shots to all eligible tiered staff as soon as possible to ensure that we continue to reduce the risk of transmission and allow us to complete the NFL season safely during the pandemic,” the memo reads. “Clubs should also consider making booster shots available to players and staff families and cohabitants.”
The NFL reports that it is working with healthcare providers and teams to provide booster shots by facilitating distribution. It isn’t clear how many eligible Tier 1 & 2 staff in the NFL will be required to receive booster shots prior to the December 27 deadline.