The Vatican City State said Tuesday that it will require all employees to provide proof of vaccination or documentation of a recent negative COVID test, the Washington Post reports.
Why it matters: Pope Francis, who was vaccinated in January, has campaigned for people to get the shots, calling it a moral duty. Some Catholics, however, have argued for exemptions on religious grounds.
- Employees without proper documentation will be considered “unjustly absent” and receive no salary, per the Post.
- The Vatican is not allowing exemptions at the moment, though the Secretariat of State and the city-state’s health department will review the issue.
- The new policy goes into effect on Oct. 1.
The big picture: Roughly 82% of Catholic adults in the U.S. say they were at least partially vaccinated as of August, according to Pew Research Center.
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