Community Corner
Vaccines Required At Notre Dame, IL Schools Could Be Next
Notre Dame University said they would accommodate reasonable exemptions but will otherwise require students to be fully vaccinated.
ILLINOIS — Students returning to the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana, will have to receive COVID-19 vaccinations in order to enroll in classes for the 2021-22 school year.
The university announced Wednesday that all undergraduate, graduate and professional programs must be completely vaccinated. The private school is one of the first in the country to make vaccines mandatory for students. Other large Midwestern institutions have encouraged students to get vaccinated, but not yet taken a stance on the sometimes murky issue.
"We will, of course, accommodate documented medical and religious exemptions," Notre Dame said on its website. "We urge everyone who is not already vaccinated to sign up this week to receive the first of two doses of the Pfizer vaccine, with the goal of fully vaccinating as many members of our campus community as possible before the end of the spring semester."
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In Illinois, Northwestern University has considered a similar move but said in a statement last month that they will instead ask that students and faculty share their vaccination status with the university.
"In the future, we may require vaccination to participate in certain activities or access certain spaces at the University," Northwestern Chief Risk and Compliance Officer Luke Figora wrote.
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Loyola University Chicago is also holding off on required vaccines—for now. A spokesperson from the university said the school has established a healthcare advisory group to study whether the vaccine should be required for students to access the campus.
"It is important to note that Loyola does require proof of series of some vaccinations for our students," Loyola said on its website, pointing out that required vaccines are not uncommon in higher education.
Many other colleges and universities are encouraging students to seek out vaccines before they leave campus for the summer break.
Notre Dame joined at least five other U.S. colleges in universities to require vaccines for enrollment.
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