University of Chicago to require COVID-19 vaccinations for students in the fall

The University of Chicago will require students to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 before returning to campus this fall, the school said.

Students who plan to participate in in-person classes, research or other activities in the fall must be vaccinated, according to an email sent to students Tuesday.

“Universal COVID-19 vaccination for UChicago students will contribute to greater immunity, reduce the risk of sudden clusters of COVID-19 on campus, and help protect members of our community who are at the highest risk of developing serious disease from the virus,” Ka Yee C. Lee, provost, and Michele Rasmussen, dean of students, said in a joint statement.

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“The university is planning for a resumption of activities on campus by the start of the 2021 Autumn Quarter. The student vaccine requirement will help make this possible,” they added.

The University of Chicago joins Northwestern, Loyola, Columbia College and DePaul in requiring students to get the COVID-19 vaccination.

Students with medical or religious reasons will be granted exemptions from the requirement.

Though the vaccine mandate doesn’t include faculty, staff and guests at the moment, the university is exploring whether it will be made a requirement and is strongly encouraging them to get vaccinated.