PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Brown University is joining a growing number of colleges nationwide that will require employees to get COVID-19 vaccinations, the Ivy League school announced Thursday.
Brown, which previously announced that students will need to be fully vaccinated to participate in on-campus activities this fall, said all faculty and staff will be required to be fully vaccinated by July 1.
In addition, students participating in on-campus summer programs will be required to be fully vaccinated by that date.
Evidence shows that coronavirus vaccines are safe and effective, President Christina Paxson said.
“Based on discussions with Brown’s public health and medical experts, it is clear that our priority should be to achieve near-universal levels of vaccination — 90% or greater — in the Brown community,” Paxson said in a letter to the campus community.
She added: “The sooner we can achieve near-universal vaccination, the sooner we’ll be able to lift public health restrictions on campus and return to a more normal environment for teaching and research, with full confidence that the health of the community is being protected.”
Medical and religious exemptions will be granted.
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