UPDATE JUNE 16, 2021:
The University of California (UC) system has changed its position on requiring COVID-19 vaccinations. Instead of requiring them only after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) fully approves at least one of the three vaccines currently available under emergency FDA authorization, UC will now mandate the shots this fall.
The change in policy was announced Monday, reports KABC.
Officials for the California State University (CSU) system still plan on waiting for full FDA approval before requiring students, faculty and staff members who will be on campus to be vaccinated for COVID-19. However, that policy could change.
ORIGINAL APRIL 26, 2021 ARTICLE:
Los Angeles – Officials from the California State University (CSU) and University of California systems announced on Thursday that students, faculty members and employees who will be on any CSU or UC campus this fall will need to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
The requirement, however, will only take effect if the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) fully approves one or more of the coronavirus vaccines. Right now, the FDA has only given emergency authorization to the Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines.
“Given the importance of vaccination, UC is engaging its community in a discussion of the details of the proposed policy now so that students, faculty, academic appointees and staff will have ample time to obtain the vaccine ahead of the fall term,” UC said in a press release. “UC already strongly encourages students, faculty, academic appointees and staff to voluntarily obtain a vaccination as soon as they are eligible and able to schedule an appointment.”
Students planning to access CSU or UC campuses for the fall will need to update their immunization documentation on file to indicate vaccination or an approved exception or medical exemption prior to coming on campus.
CSU in December and UC in January announced that their systems would return to in-person instruction in the fall of 2021. Over the past year, both systems switched to mostly distance learning to stem the spread of the coronavirus.
Back in January, Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent Austin Beutner announced that once the vaccines for the coronavirus become available to children, students will need to be immunized before they can return to school, like they are required to be vaccinated for the measles and mumps. Children who don’t get vaccinated can continue with distance learning.
When combined, CSU and UC institutions enroll and employ more than one million students, faculty and staff members across 33 campuses.
