DePaul University requiring COVID-19 vaccine for students returning to in-person classes this fall

CHICAGO - DePaul University says it will require students to be vaccinated against COVID-19 before returning in-person to campus this fall.

The requirement covers all undergraduate, graduate and professional students in all degree programs who will be on campus for any period of time starting in the fall 2021 quarter.

"Why is DePaul requiring students to be vaccinated? Simply put: safety, mutual care and social responsibility," A. Gabriel Esteban, Ph.D., president of DePaul, wrote in email messages to the university community. "The health and safety of our community, and the communities in which our students, faculty and staff live, have driven DePaul’s decision-making throughout the pandemic."

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Esteban also noted that the threat of COVID-19 will not completely disappear before classes convene in the fall.

"We also know that the COVID-19 vaccines have been proven effective at greatly reducing the spread of the virus, as well as preventing serious illness and death from COVID-19. When used in combination with other COVID-19 prevention measures, vaccines provide protection against the virus," Esteban wrote in the message to DePaul students.

"While the pandemic has kept many of us apart in the last year, I am greatly anticipating your return to campus in the fall," Esteban said. "Keeping our community safe requires a collective effort."

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