Duke University announced Friday that all new and returning students must provide proof of a COVID-19 vaccination before enrolling in the fall semester of 2021.
“Looking ahead, we know that widespread vaccination will be the only way to enable a return to normal and robust campus life,” Duke President Vincent Price wrote in a statement.
The requirement ranges from undergraduate students to professional students planning to return to campus.
Proof of vaccination must be submitted before enrollment on the ‘Student Health’ campus; documented medical and religious exemptions will be accommodated.
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The university said all students and staff have been given the opportunity to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
“We believe vaccinations are the best and most effective way for us to continue our path to a normal life,” spokesman Michael Schoenfeld told ABC11. “They are effective, they are available to everyone.”
The recent vaccination requirement is one of Duke’s drastic efforts to stop the spread of COVID-19. In March, the university issued a residency assignment for a period of one week after the number of COVID-19 cases rose.
“The past fourteen months have been one of the most difficult and exhausting in our university’s history. Under great stress, and often at great danger, we have remained committed to each other – and to our missions of discovery, research and patient care.” Price ended in his statement. “Today I ask you to take the next step with me to ensure the safety and vitality of our university community.”
Duke University is the first college in the Triangle to require vaccinations. UNC-Chapel Hill told ABC11 it will not be students to provide vaccination confirmation unless the CDC directs otherwise.
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