MIT to require COVID-19 vaccine for all students
MIT will be instituting a COVID-19 vaccine requirement for all students enrolled in Fall 2021, Chancellor Cynthia Barnhart PhD ’88 and MIT Medical Director Cecilia Stuopis ’90 announced to the MIT community in an April 30 email.
All MIT students should be vaccinated before the fall semester begins and should share their current vaccine status via COVID Pass. Students who will not be vaccinated for “medical or religious reasons” can record exemptions in the form as well. The form includes a “number of vaccines approved for use in other countries” though MIT is “not yet sure” if it will accept these vaccines to fulfill the requirement.”
Barnhart wrote that vaccines offer the “best chance for returning to the normal rhythms and connections of campus life,” and that the administration will “consult with public health experts and partner with student leaders, faculty, and staff” to develop final plans for the upcoming semester.
Peer universities such as Harvard, Yale, and Stanford are also mandating all students to be vaccinated.
The most recent information on MIT’s COVID-19 policies can be found on MIT Now.