RIMS to require vaccination proof to attend in-person events

The Risk & Insurance Management Society Inc. said Tuesday it will require anyone wishing to attend a RIMS in-person event to show proof they have been vaccinated against COVID-19.

The requirement is effective immediately for all events managed by RIMS staff, including its annual conference and exhibition slated for April 10-13 next year in San Francisco.

The mandate also applies to RIMS staff, vendors, sponsors, other ancillary partners and media who plan to attend or provide a service at a RIMS event, including international participants, the New York-based organization said in a statement.

RIMS will make no exceptions for religious or health exemptions, according to the statement. However, the organization will work with those impacted to develop an alternative virtual event experience.

“RIMS is hiring a third-party vendor to support this decision and validate vaccine requirements, and we will work with them to establish what vaccine proof is needed,” a RIMS spokesman said.

RIMS said in the statement that third-party vendors that specialize in conducting health screenings and in validating the authenticity of vaccine documentation are being explored.

RIMS said it will adhere to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention definition of “fully vaccinated.”

Under CDC guidelines, people are considered fully vaccinated two weeks after their second dose in a two-dose series, such as the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, or two weeks after a single-dose vaccine, such as Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen vaccine.

“Under these current conditions and after a thorough review of event industry trends, our Board felt it was necessary to adopt these vaccination requirements. At the end of the day, it’s about the safety of our attendees and, as risk professionals, we believe this decision is the best option for RIMS to, once again, bring the world’s risk management community together,” RIMS President Ellen Dunkin said in the statement.