Brazilian universities USP and Unicamp no longer require proof of vaccine

The University of São Paulo (USP) and the University of Campinas (Unicamp) announced this Thursday (16) the end of the requirement for proof of vaccination against covid-19 for students, employees, and teachers.

The decision was taken after governor Tarcísio Gomes de Freitas sanctioned a state law prohibiting requiring the document.

The rule was published in the Wednesday 15th edition of the Diário Oficial do Estado.

Unesp (São Paulo State University) has not pronounced itself yet.

São Paulo state universities had the strictest rules and protocols regarding covid-19.

The USP and Unicamp even canceled the enrollment and grades of students who refused to present vaccine proof.

In October last year, USP removed the grades and attendance records of 275 students from the system.

In a statement released on Thursday, 16, USP said that more than 99% of the university community had updated the vaccination against the covid-19, data that includes students approved in the last ‘vestibular’ (college entrance examination).

Of the 8,200 new students, only 34 are not completely vaccinated, according to the institution.

“This high vaccination rate makes us believe that the decision will not lead to negative consequences in the course of the pandemic at USP,” the university said in the statement.

With the law, authored by state representatives Janaína Paschoal (PRTB), Altair Moraes (Republicans), Carlos Cezar (PL), Castello Branco (PL), and Coronel Nishikawa (PL), no one can be prevented from accessing any place or service for not showing proof of vaccination.

The text, however, does not provide for punishment to establishments that fail to comply with the measure.

The new law brings some exceptions in the requirement for proof of vaccination, which include health professionals who may have contact with immunosuppressed people, workers in institutions for the elderly, professionals in contact with children with chronic diseases, and pregnant women.

With information from Revista Oeste