Per USA Fencing, effective immediately, individuals are no longer required to show proof of vaccination to compete in or attend USA Fencing National Tournaments. Reasons for the decision were given by USA Fencing, and are as follows:
- Case numbers and hospitalization rates remain low, despite new variants circulating, lessening the need for the vaccine requirement compared to earlier this year.
- Most other national governing bodies that hold large indoor events and had instituted a vaccine requirement have since rescinded these policies.
- In many cases, entities still requiring proof of vaccination also require proof of other vaccines in order to avoid circulation of illness. The continuation of the requirement to show proof of vaccination against only COVID-19 was not logical unless we intended to implement requirements for other vaccines as well.
- Public health policy has moved in a direction where vaccination is no longer being required by most cities, counties and states to attend events or to travel within the U.S.. Instead, many governments and public health agencies are encouraging vaccination but are leaving the choice to implement blanket requirements at the discretion of private business owners and individuals. You can find the Center for Disease Control’s latest recommendations regarding vaccination, masking and other best practices on their official site.
If you have any questions about this change in policy, please contact USA Fencing at information@usafencing.org