Duke University announced Friday that all new and returning students must provide proof of a COVID-19 vaccination before enrolling in the fall 2021 semester.
“Looking ahead, we know that widespread vaccination will be the only way to achieve a normal and robust campus life,” Duke President Vincent Price wrote in a statement.
The requirement ranges from undergraduate students to professional students who plan to return to campus.
Proof of vaccination must be submitted to the student health of the campus before you can enroll; documented medical and religious exemptions are accommodated.
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The university said all students and staff had the opportunity to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
“We believe that vaccinations are the best and most effective way to continue our path to return to normal,” 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 curb the spread of COVID-19. In March, the university issued a stay-at-home order for a period of one week after experiencing an increase in COVID-19 cases.
“The past fourteen months have been one of the most difficult and exhausting in the history of our university. Under great stress, and often with great danger, we remain committed to each other and to our missions of discovery, research and patient care,” Price concludes 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 that it will not be students to give vaccine confirmation unless the CDC determines otherwise.
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