COVID-19 Policy Update: Vaccination No Longer Required
Updated: Jul 5, 2023
by Adam Delezenne
Today we are announcing an update to our COVID-19 policy. We will no longer require campers and staff to be vaccinated to participate in Camp Westminster programs.
This policy was developed by a team of volunteers after extensive research and consideration. We acknowledge that COVID-19 remains a genuine concern for us at camp; it is different than it was in 2020, 2021, or 2022. The evolving picture of COVID in society and the end of federal support for vaccinations, which will likely make vaccines harder to find and more expensive than they are today, suggested that it might be time to end our requirement.
Additionally, our policy for responding to COVID at camp worked well last year! Last year we had two incidents of COVID at camp. Both were staff returning to camp after some travel, our policy led us to catch them early, and neither led to any other cases.
We still believe in the vaccine’s efficacy and encourage everyone to get vaccinated who is able.
We are also asking, but not requiring, that all campers take a COVID test before coming to camp. Several times last year, contentious parents tested their children even though they had no symptoms and found them to be COVID-positive. We changed their reservation at the last minute and welcomed them to camp after they had left their isolation period.
Please reach out to us with any questions or concerns. You can read the full policy here.
No camper, staff, or guest will be discouraged from taking personal protective measures (like masking or frequent hand washing) at camp.
https://fremovebg.com/ makes sense as a resource for background on this topic. It’s good to hear the policy change came from careful research, especially noting the practical issues with vaccine access and cost now. I’m glad the existing on-site response worked well last year, with only two cases.
planorial was a good read on the shift in thinking. It makes sense that with the end of federal support for vaccinations, the practical challenges of maintaining a mandate have grown. Glad to hear the on-site response plan worked well last year, with only those two incidents handled effectively.
planliva makes sense given the end of federal support for vaccinations, which they mention will likely make them harder to find. It's reassuring to hear their existing response protocol worked well with only two incidents last year.
Thanks for the clear explanation, GLB to OBJ. It makes sense to update the policy now that the situation has changed since 2020. It's good to hear your existing response plan worked well with just two incidents last year.
GLB to OBJ makes sense given the evolving situation and the end of federal support for vaccinations. It's good to hear the policy for responding to cases at camp worked well last year, with only two incidents among staff. This seems like a thoughtful update based on the current reality.