Vaccinations are key to protecting our community against the devastating pandemic, and Oregon Health & Science University hopes everyone who can get vaccinated will get vaccinated.

As initially announced in May, OHSU is developing a COVID-19 vaccination policy for anyone with an OHSU identification badge.

By Sept. 1, 2021, OHSU intends to require its employees, students, volunteers and long-term vendors to either provide documentation showing they are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or to formally decline vaccination.

Those who formally decline to get vaccinated will also be required to complete vaccine-related education and follow necessary safety measures. Although the exact nature of such safety measures will depend on our evolving understanding of the pandemic and the preventative measures it warrants, the required measures could include regular COVID-19 testing and wearing face masks.

OHSU’s planned COVID-19 vaccine requirement is still being worked through with OHSU learners, employees, faculty, leadership and unions. The requirement’s details may change as a result of ongoing conversations.

OHSU requires vaccines in compliance with state and federal law. Many vaccinations - such as those against mumps, measles and rubella - are required by federal or state laws, while other vaccinations - such as those against the flu - are not yet required by state or federal authorities. OHSU is taking a similar approach to COVID-19 vaccination as it has for influenza vaccinations: Employees, students and others associated with OHSU will be required to either get vaccinated against COVID-19 or to formally decline a COVID-19 vaccination.

State law prohibits mandatory vaccination as a requirement of employment for certain employees, including hospital workers. Our policy will provide OHSU employees the opportunity to decline and complete other materials to be compliant, although we continue to urge everyone to become vaccinated.

Today, Gov. Kate Brown also announced a new health and safety rule for health care settings. OHSU is working through how to operationalize this in the coming weeks alongside our planned COVID-19 vaccination policy.