Stanford to require COVID-19 vaccination for faculty and staff in fall

May 5, 2021, 9:58 p.m.

Stanford will require all faculty, staff and postdoctoral students to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 this fall, according to a Wednesday email from Provost Persis Drell. For individuals who are vaccinated, regular testing will not be required. 

This update comes almost two weeks after Stanford announced fall vaccination requirements for all undergraduate, graduate and professional students on April 22. Stanford follows in the footsteps of the University of California and California State University college systems, which declared that vaccines would be mandated for both students and employees.

The decision to require vaccinations for faculty and staff was made following an increase in vaccine supply and appointment availability nationally, Drell wrote. She added that Stanford Health Care now offers vaccines without requiring an appointment. 

Full vaccination will come with privileges for faculty and staff: Starting in the fall, fully-vaccinated individuals traveling more than 150 miles beyond Santa Clara or San Mateo counties will no longer be required to show proof of a negative COVID-19 test or undergo a quarantine period before arriving on campus. 

Students, faculty, staff and postdoctoral scholars will soon be able to voluntarily update their vaccination status on Health Check, Drell wrote in the email. Eventually, individuals who disclose their status will be asked to provide information about the type of vaccine they received and their vaccination dates. 

Exceptions will be granted for individuals who choose not to be vaccinated for “medical, religious or other reasons” and those who choose not to disclose their vaccination status. These individuals will be required to undergo regular COVID-19 testing and comply with other potential requirements as determined by the University, according to the email.

“Vaccines are crucial to having a safe, healthy environment at Stanford and in our broader community,” Drell wrote. “Keep in mind that the virus, including highly transmissible variants, remains with us today.” 

Sophia Nesamoney is from Atherton, California. She is a STEM Research Reporter who hopes to pursue careers in medicine and creative writing. Contact her at nsophia ‘at’ stanford.edu.

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