Education

UNC system will not require vaccine for students returning for fall semester

The University of North Carolina System will not require students and faculty to receive the COVID-19 vaccine before returning to campus in the fall.

Posted Updated
UNC Chapel Hill Old Well
By
Kevin Kuzminski
, WRAL multiplatform producer
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — The University of North Carolina System will not require students and faculty to receive the COVID-19 vaccine before returning to campus in the fall.

According to a UNC spokesperson, there have been about 30 U.S. colleges and universities, mostly private, that have reportedly announced COVID vaccination requirements. That’s out of more than 4,000 institutions of higher education in the country.

Duke recently announced it will require the vaccine to return to campus.

The university system released the following statement:

"The University of North Carolina System remains committed to following guidance from public health officials and state law regarding vaccinations. No federal or state public health official has directed that COVID-19 vaccinations be mandated for students at institutions of higher education.

"The UNC System strongly recommends the vaccine for students but is not requiring it. We urge our students and all North Carolinians to be vaccinated at the earliest opportunity. Across the state, our 16 university campuses are performing a public service by helping to distribute vaccines to faculty, staff, students and members of the community. To date, campus clinics have administered more than 72,000 vaccinations, and they will continue to do so in the coming weeks and months. We want to ensure that students have free and convenient access to vaccinations so that they can return to the full college experience as soon as possible."

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