The University of Pittsburgh will fire nine individuals who refuse to receive the coronavirus vaccine, violating the institution’s mandate imposed last year.
According to a statement provided to the University Times, 22 individuals were originally non-compliant, but 13 individuals cleared the protocols. The university is “in the process of terminating” the others.
All faculty, staff, and students at the Pennsylvania university must get the shot. Students who did not comply were unenrolled from their classes. Officials from the college would not detail how many students were impacted.
“The most successful and sustainable approach to keeping our community healthy and safe is one that utilizes vaccination as a condition of studying or working on our campuses. By enforcing this requirement now, we will be able to maintain a high immunization rate on our campuses, while continuing to support our students and research, as well as protect our workforce, with minimal disruption to our programs, activities, or operations,” the university’s website reads.
According to the university, individuals were able to apply for an exemption that would be “reviewed on a case-by-case basis by the Office for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (OEDI) and can only be requested for medical reasons, or reasons based on sincerely held religious belief or because of a strong moral or ethical conviction.” Furthermore, even if an individual was granted the exemption, they would “be subject to additional mitigation measures, such as routine COVID-19 testing.”
Based on data from the university, cases on campus have declined over the previous weeks. From January 26 to February 1, a total of 298 students tested positive, despite the mandate. During the period of February 2 to February 8, only 148 positive tests were reported.
Students and staff on campus are also required to wear a mask, regardless of vaccination status.
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Cooper Moran is a reporter for The Pennsylvania Daily Star and The Star News Network. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “University of Pittsburgh” by Piotrus. CC BY-SA 2.5.
