Important Policy Memorandums
- Policy Memorandum Regarding Yellow Fever Vaccine (PDF)
- Policy Memorandum Regarding Aviation Medical Examiner (AME) Evaluations of Airmen and Air Traffic Control Specialists (ATCS) with a History of COVID-19 (PDF)
Vaccines
The COVID-19 public health emergency has driven extraordinary global efforts to develop an effective and safe vaccine. The vaccines produced by Pfizer and BioNTech, Moderna, and the Janssen Single-Dose COVID-19 vaccine manufactured by Johnson & Johnson, have been made available to the American public under an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). After careful review of available data regarding safety profiles, the FAA Office of Aerospace Medicine (AAM) adopts the following policy as both safe and operationally responsive to this unique situation:
Holders of FAA-issued Airman Medical Certificates or Medical Clearances may receive the Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, or Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine; however, a 48-hour no fly/no safety related duty interval must be observed after each dose.
Individuals holding an Airman Medical Certificate or Medical Clearance should be reminded that they are prohibited from performing flight crewmember duties or air traffic control duties if they do not meet medical certification requirements, including those related to adverse events from medications that render them unable to perform such duties.
AAM will monitor the patient response to each vaccine and may adjust this policy as necessary to ensure aviation safety. Additional vaccines will each be evaluated as EUAs are issued.
Guide for Aviation Medical Examiners
Designee Management System (DMS)
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- Letter from the Federal Air Surgeon — BasicMed is Coming! (PDF)
- Mastering the Basics of BasicMed: PDF, MS PowerPoint
- Information about BasicMed
- Section 61.113 and the new Part 68
- Advisory Circular 68-1
- Medical Certification Updates and Common Errors for the AME
- March 2016 (10:37 minutes)
- ECG II: Aermomedical Management of ECG abnormalities detected as part of an FAA exam (48:38 minutes)
- Instructional Video — OSA Screening
- AME Minute Archive
- Aerospace Medical Certification Subsystem (AMCS)
- Contact your Regional Flight Surgeon
- Guide for Aviation Medical Examiners
- Obstructive Sleep Apnea Guidance
- FAA Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) Guidance
- Instructional Video — OSA Screening: YouTube or FAA TV
- Student Pilot Rule Changes FAQs
- Aeromedical Safety Brochures
- Aerospace Medical Certification Statistical Handbook
- Current (PDF)
- Complete history
- FAA Order 8000.95, Designee Management Policy
- Federal Air Surgeon's Medical Bulletin
- Letter of Denial (PDF), Denial of Issuance of Medical Certificate
- FAA Form 8500-7, Report of Eye Evaluation
- FAA Form 8500-14. Ophthalmological Evaluation for Glaucoma
- Privacy Act Statement (PDF)
- Assist Pilot Applicant with Requesting Medical Records