USM To Require COVID Vaccinations For All Students, Faculty And Staff Returning To Campuses In The Fall
COLLEGE PARK, Md. (WJZ) -- The University System of Maryland, which includes University of Maryland College Park, UMBC, Bowie State, Coppin State, Towson University and more, will require all students, faculty and staff to be vaccinated before they can return to campuses in the fall.
Chancellor Jay A. Perman made the announcement Friday morning.
"I'd like to frame my remarks not only as System chancellor, but as a physician—a pediatrician. My entire career has been focused on children, through early adulthood," said Perman. "As a physician, everything I do in my practice requires a risk/benefit analysis. There is no free ride."
He added that young people are getting sicker as a result of the U.K. variant, which some studies suggest is more dangerous and contagious.
"And so are other variants now documented around the world," he added. "And that's what we're preparing for: more infectious, more harmful variants that we think could be circulating on our campuses come fall."
They will make some medical-related or religious exemptions, Perman said.
USM overseas a number of universities in the state including: Bowie State, Coppin State, Frostburg State, Salisbury University, Towson University, University of Baltimore, University of Maryland Baltimore (UMB), University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC), University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, University of Maryland College Park, University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) and University of Maryland Global Campus.
Morgan State University also announced Friday morning, it would require its community to be vaccinated against covid-19 before returning to school in August.
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