Miami University rescinds COVID-19, vaccine policy for students and employees

Students or employees at Miami University will no longer be required to receive a COVID-19 vaccine.

The university in Oxford announced that effective Feb. 27, it will no longer have a COVID-19 vaccination policy.

"Our vaccination policy helped us achieve a level of immunity that allowed us to keep our university open and functioning during the pandemic," a statement from Miami's COVID response team on the website reads. "Over time, we have seen that the vaccine remains effective at reducing the severity of symptoms associated with COVID-19, but does not always prevent the spread of new variants of the virus."

Miami will continue to recommend that people receive the COVID-19 vaccine and boosters if they are able as a way to reduce the severity of symptoms from the virus, per the statement.

It will continue to collect COVID-19 vaccination information from students on a voluntary basis, and will continue to offer vaccines and boosters on campus through Student Health Services and Employee Health Services.

In 2022, officials said most students and employees on Miami's campuses are vaccinated against COVID-19. On Miami's Oxford campus, 91% of students were vaccinated going into the spring 2022 semester. At the regional campuses, 75% of students were vaccinated against COVID-19.

The university approved 2,600 requests, about 300 fewer exemption requests approved at University of Cincinnati.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Miami University rescinds COVID-19 vaccine policy