Covid 19 vaccine still required?

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USMA2026TX

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Mar 9, 2022
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Didn't they announce the mandatory vaccine requirement for WP was rescinded?

Below is what is stated on the portal.
  • All candidates seeking to gain admission as a Cadet to the United States Military Academy at West Point must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 prior to signing the USMA Form 5-50 (Oath of Office) unless they have an approved pre-accession medical or administrative exemption (to include religious accommodation). Vaccination verification will be completed by the Immunizations clinic.
  • You must complete the COVID vaccination series no later than June 13, 2023
  • You must complete this survey no later than June 14, 2023
 
I would write your RC an email. If it says what you say on your portal, then I would think it has not changed yet. No telling when it will pass through all the channels and come out as a policy change, and what changes or non-changes are and who they pertain to. Is it worth the possibility of being sent home on R-Day? Make sure what the policy is or will be, don't assume anything.

And to clarify your initial sentence, Congress mandated a repeal of the Mandate, but until all the ramifications (overseas assignments, travel, and force readiness) are assessed and approved get direct answers from someone (your RC or the Admissions Staff) who you can quote if problems arise on R-Day. Right now if you are not vaccinated I understand you are not able to fully deploy to certain areas that still require the vaccine. How that is going to effect the services going forward is anyone's guess, but I am sure we will find out.
 
USAFA listed on the applicants portal that the vaccine is no longer required.
 
Most likely the portal hasn't updated. The DOD completely removed the vaccine requirement a while ago, but you know how the government is. Slow.
 
This was on the official parents page this morning:

Good morning. I just received word that the Covid vaccine is no longer a required immunization. I don’t plan on updating the paperwork at this late date. If your child has gotten it, I would appreciate still getting a copy of their Covid card. That way I can ensure their records are most up to date. Thank you!—USMA Imms nurse
 
GoArmy2027 said:
This was on the official parents page this morning:

Good morning. I just received word that the Covid vaccine is no longer a required immunization. I don’t plan on updating the paperwork at this late date. If your child has gotten it, I would appreciate still getting a copy of their Covid card. That way I can ensure their records are most up to date. Thank you!—USMA Imms nurse
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Please tell me more. Why is the "official word" on C-19 vax requirement so hard to find? Is it true USMA has officially drop vax status/requirement?
 
Didn't USMA just 2 weeks ago or so double down on vax re: travel? So if the vax req is lifted for attendance, is it still required to travel with your sports team, for example?
 
I w
USMA27Dad said:
Didn't USMA just 2 weeks ago or so double down on vax re: travel? So if the vax req is lifted for attendance, is it still required to travel with your sports team, for example?
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Ms. Wambeke, the USMA Immunizations person, would be the person who could answer this question. She is very responsive on the Class of 2027 Parents Facebook group and also via email.
 
USMA27Dad said:
Didn't USMA just 2 weeks ago or so double down on vax re: travel? So if the vax req is lifted for attendance, is it still required to travel with your sports team, for example?
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I just saw a response from her to a similar question - it reads as follows: "as far as I know, no restrictions will be placed since it’s not required". Hope this helps.
 
USMA27Dad said:
Didn't USMA just 2 weeks ago or so double down on vax re: travel? So if the vax req is lifted for attendance, is it still required to travel with your sports team, for example?
Click to expand...
USMA didn’t double down. They enforced the Army policy. The current Army policy mandates all unvaccinated soldiers must receive permission from the service’s under secretary before officially traveling. USMA is part of DOD and has to abide by whatever policies are in place.
 
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Try and remember, just because the DoD relaxed the COVID-19 Policy, DOES NOT mean you are immune from State or Local Health policies, nor are you free to deploy anywhere you desire without some pretty strict restrictions. If you deploy to certain foreign areas, you operate under what is called a "Status of Forces Agreement" (SOFA), and they normally do not grant exemptions to that country's health or security requirements.

The Navy just came out last week and said that unvaccinated sailors are eligible for worldwide deployment, BUT liberty or off post/base privileges may be restricted. In layman's terms, you can deploy but maybe cannot get off the ship, or leave the post/base while you are there.

Just because the US has relaxed it's policies does not mean other Countries have or will and under most SOFA agreements the foreign country's policies remain in effect.
 
Most all countries (other than US) have lifted C19 vaccination requirements for entry. Great resource here:
www.kayak.com

Where can I travel to? Travel Restrictions by Country | KAYAK

Get information on travel restrictions by country with our map. Check the entry, vaccination, COVID-19 testing, and quarantine requirements by country before planning your next trip.
www.kayak.com www.kayak.com
 

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@EvansinAZ, that is a really good resource, but I do not think it refers to long term stays, but rather visiting? AD military is still required under SOFA in certain areas maintain a different status as they considered "temporary residents" rather than visitors. I do not know if the info you provided pertains to AD military under a SOFA or not, nor if the health status of any country will change.

My point was simply that "Official" travel may differ from what a civilian traveler encounters if they are "Deployed" to an area, and not to assume anything, until told by your command. If you read most of the "more info" on your travel listings, they all have caveats, and this list is from KAYAK, not any "official" source. IMHO, I just think if a military member is unvaccinated, different rules may apply.;)
 
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