Dear Ramah Poconos Community,

Below you will find 2024 COVID Vaccine information as well as our Approach to Illness at Camp from our medical committee - please review the information carefully.

COVID-19 Vaccination:
Camp is a different environment than home and school. We are a close community of nearly 700 people, all living in close quarters, and with varied health needs and challenges. For this reason, at Camp Ramah in the Poconos, our medical committee strongly recommends that all eligible campers and staff receive the most updated COVID-19 vaccine available.

Camp Ramah in the Poconos requires full compliance with other national immunization guidelines for all campers and staff. Documentation must be provided for campers and staff verifying that they are up to date with all required immunizations.

We believe that this is a safe and reasonable approach and is supported by the now amended National Ramah Medical Committee COVID-19 Vaccine Statement

Treatment of illness at camp:
Our medical team has established criteria for when campers and staff are admitted for illness into our health center (the MARP) which generally include:

• Fever
• Significant cold symptoms
• Strep throat
• Symptoms of illness that prevent participation in programming

Illnesses that last more than 72 hours and prevent campers or staff from participating in camp are handled individually and parents are contacted. Per our longstanding pre-COVID protocols, this may include picking your child up from camp depending on severity and longevity. A member of the medical team will contact parents if a camper is admitted into the MARP and stays overnight.


Similar to last summer, we do not plan to routinely test for COVID in asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic campers or staff, unless the medical team determines that knowing the COVID status will materially alter the medical management of a patient. Additionally, campers may present with symptoms which require us to take them to urgent care or the emergency room. If a camper’s symptoms dictate this, the hospital may determine that a COVID test is warranted to clarify a treatment course. If a child tests positive for COVID, they will be required to recover at home.

Our goal remains to create a healthy and safe camp experience with as little disruption due to COVID as possible. If circumstances dictate changing these policies before or during camp, we will update you accordingly.

If you have questions, please contact Sue Schwartzman, RN, Health Center Director, at Marp@ramahpoconos.org.

Sincerely,


Adam C. Ehrlich, MD, MPH Sue Schwartzman, RN BSN

Medical Director Health Center Director