To: Members of Providence City Council

We, the undersigned, are a group of researchers and epidemiologists at the Brown
University School of Public Health and we are writing to express our support for the City
of Providence’s vaccine mandate for city employees, including employees in public
safety (police, fire, communications, and PEMA). As the City of Providence faces rising
cases in light of the Omicron variant, it remains critical that steps are taken to protect
city employees and the members of the public they interact with from severe outcomes
associated with COVID-19. Data have consistently shown—even in light of the Omicron
variant—that vaccination is highly protective against severe disease, hospitalization, and
death. In terms of infection, the state’s own data shows that vaccinated people are less
likely to contract COVID compared to unvaccinated people.

Vaccination is especially important for city employees who are interacting with the
community as part of their daily responsibilities. There are community members who
are particularly vulnerable to the most severe outcomes associated with COVID-19,
including older adults, those with preexisting medical conditions, those who are
immunocompromised, and those who are not yet eligible to receive the vaccine
(including young children). Carving out an exception for some city employees puts the
public’s safety at risk.

Throughout the year, we have seen private and public employers issue vaccine
mandates in the interest of public safety. United Airlines was one the first to implement
this requirement and 99% of workers complied with the mandate. United reported
recently that while 3,000 workers have been recently infected, no vaccinated employees
are hospitalized. Prior to the mandate, one United employee per week was dying of
COVID; in the two months since the mandate has been implemented, no vaccinated
employee has died.

Vaccination is also amongst the best protection we have against staffing shortages
preceding and exacerbated by the Omicron wave. By preventing severe disease and
deaths, vaccines make it more likely that workers can return to the workforce healthy. In
2021, data shows that the top killer of law enforcement in the United States was not
guns, but COVID-19 deaths.

While the City of Providence cannot mandate that every resident take the vaccine, their
employees should model the behavior of what it means to be a good citizen; and that
includes getting vaccinated to protect our community and those most at risk.
Sincerely,

Brandon D.L. Marshall, PhD

Associate Professor
Department of Epidemiology

Jacqueline Goldman, ScM

Project Manager
Department of Epidemiology

Abdullah Shihipar, MPH

Research Associate
Department of Epidemiology

Alexandra B. Collins, PhD

Investigator
Department of Epidemiology

Roxxanne A.M. Newman, MA

Research Assistant
Department of Epidemiology

William C. Goedel, PhD

Assistant Professor (Research)
Department of Epidemiology

Abigail R. Cartus, PhD

Postdoctoral research associate
Department of Epidemiology

Katie B. Biello, PhD, MPH

Associate Professor
Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences
Department of Epidemiology

Brendan Jacka, PhD

Investigator
Department of Epidemiology
Annie Gjelsvik, Phd
Associate Professor
Department of Epidemiology
Director of MPH Program

Francesca L. Beaudoin, MD, PhD

Associate Professor and Interim Chair
Department of Epidemiology

Michael H. Tan
Research Assistant
Department of Epidemiology

Xiao Zang
Postdoctoral Research Associate
Department of Epidemiology

Ian Saldanha
Assistant Professor
Department of Health Services, Policy, and Practice
Department of Epidemiology

Nelson Lin
Research Assistant
Department of Epidemiology

Alyssa Peachey, MHA

Project Manager
Department of Epidemiology

Patricia Markham Risica, DrPH

Associate Professor of Epidemiology
Associate Professor of Behavioral and Social Sciences

Elena Salmoirago-Blotcher, MD, PhD

Associate Professor of Medicine
Associate Professor of Epidemiology
Karl T. Kelsey, MD, MOH
Professor of Epidemiology

Jee Won Park, PhD

Postdoctoral Research Associate
Department of Epidemiology

Ilana F. Garden, PhD, MPH

Associate Professor of Epidemiology

Jesse Yedinak, MPA

Research Director
Assistant Professor of the Practice
Department of Epidemiology

Joseph M. Braun, RN, MSPH, PhD

Associate Professor
Department of Epidemiology

Josiah “Jody” Rich, MD, MPH

Professor of Medicine and Epidemiology

Mark N. Lurie, PhD

Associate Professor
Department of Epidemiology

Sari Greene
Research Assistant
Department of Epidemiology

Andrew R. Zullo, PharmD, PhD

Assistant Professor
Department of Health Services, Policy, and Practice
Department of Epidemiology

Angela M. Bengtson, PhD

Assistant Professor
Department of Epidemiology
David A. Savitz, Ph.D.
Professor
Department of Epidemiology

Alexandria Macmadu, MSc

PhD Candidate
Department of Epidemiology

Stephen Buka, Sc.D.

Professor
Department of Epidemiology

Stephen T. McGarvey, Ph.D., M.P.H.

Professor of Epidemiology
Professor of Anthropology