Students, faculty and staff wanting to participate in upcoming semesters must now be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 at Worcester schools the College of the Holy Cross, Clark University, and Worcester Polytechnic Institute.
The three join Anna Maria College in Paxton, each of the state’s public university campuses, including Fitchburg, Framingham and Worcester state universities, and MCPHS University, which has a campus in downtown Worcester. Community colleges, including Mount Wachusett Community College in Gardner and Quinsigamond Community College in Worcester have said they won’t require vaccines, not wanting to worsen potential health inequities among members of its campuses. UMass Medical School in Worcester also is not requiring the vaccine, although it strongly recommends them for students, staff, and faculty.
Clark President David Fithian made the announcement of the vaccine requirement on Thursday in a letter to the campus community, saying everyone had to show their proof of vaccination by July 15.
WPI, similarly, is requiring its campus community to show proof of vaccination by Aug. 1. The Holy Cross requirement doesn’t have a specific deadline, but says proof must be shown before students return for the fall semester or summer activities.
