The University of Notre Dame in South Bend will require all students to receive coronavirus vaccinations before returning to campus for the fall 2021 semester, the school announced this week.
According to a press release from the school, all undergraduate, graduate and professional students who plan to learn on-campus will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, likely making the school the first in the Midwest to require COVID-19 vaccination for entry.
The school will accommodate “documented medical or religious exemptions,” according to the release.
“The safety of the University and local communities is always our highest priority,” Notre Dame President Rev. John Jenkins said in a statement. “Requiring students to be vaccinated for COVID-19 is a new and important addition to our health policies, one that we believe will enhance public health at Notre Dame and in our community,.
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The school will host a clinic beginning Thursday to administer the Pfizer vaccine to students, with appointments available to all students from April 8 to the 15th.
Students will be asked to verify that they have been vaccinated through an online form.
According to Forbes, Notre Dame is at least the eighth university in the United States to require all students to be vaccinated against COVID-19. Boston University, Cornell University in New York and Rutgers University in New Jersey have all announced that students will be required to be vaccinated if they plan to take classes on campus, according to the publication.
