Nearly 600 U.S. colleges and universities are now requiring the coronavirus vaccine, according to The Chronicle of Higher Education.

Eileen O'Gorman's profile pictureEileen O’Gorman, Patch StaffVerified Patch Staff BadgePosted Mon, Jul 26, 2021 at 5:48 pm CT|Updated Tue, Jul 27, 2021 at 10:30 am CT

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A coronavirus testing center is set up in a community college parking lot.
A coronavirus testing center is set up in a community college parking lot. (Rachel Nunes/Patch)

ILLINOIS — Hundreds of colleges nationwide, including several in Illinois, are having students return to class this fall with more than a computer and textbooks in tow.

Nearly 600 colleges and universities are now requiring students, faculty and staff or a combination of the three to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 before coming back to campus, according to The Chronicle of Higher Education.

Of those, 18 are in Illinois.

Among the first to announce the requirement were private institutions, followed by tentative announcements from large, public colleges, such as Illinois State University, which will give students a choice to either get vaccinated or get tested regularly. Following Columbia College, NorthwesternLoyola and DePaul were the first in the state to announce the requirements for in-person students.

Here’s the full list of colleges in Illinois now requiring the vaccine and who is required to get it:

Columbia College Chicago, Chicago

  • Announced: April 19
  • Who Must Be Vaccinated: All students

DePaul University, Chicago

  • Announced: April 21
  • Who Must Be Vaccinated: All students

Dominican University, River Forest

  • Announced: May 14
  • Who Must Be Vaccinated: Employees and students

Elmhurst University, Elmhurst

  • Announced: N/A
  • Who Must Be Vaccinated: Employees and students

Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago

  • Announced: July 21
  • Who Must Be Vaccinated: Employees and students

Knox College, Galesburg

  • Announced: May 20
  • Who Must Be Vaccinated: All students

Lake Forest College, Lake Forest

  • Announced: May 20
  • Who Must Be Vaccinated: All students

Lewis University, Romeoville

  • Announced: June 1
  • Who Must Be Vaccinated: Employees and students

Loyola University Chicago, Chicago

  • Announced: April 22
  • Who Must Be Vaccinated: All students

Northern Illinois University, DeKalb

  • Announced: June 23
  • Who Must Be Vaccinated: All students

Northwestern University, Evanston

  • Announced: May 12
  • Who Must Be Vaccinated: Employees and students

Roosevelt University, Chicago

  • Announced: April 26
  • Who Must Be Vaccinated: All students

Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago

  • Announced: May 28
  • Who Must Be Vaccinated: Employees and students

School of the Art Institute Chicago, Chicago

  • Announced: May 11
  • Who Must Be Vaccinated: All students

University of Chicago, Chicago

  • Announced: May 18
  • Who Must Be Vaccinated: All students

University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago

  • Announced: June 21
  • Who Must Be Vaccinated: Employees and students

University of Illinois at Springfield, Springfield

  • Announced: June 21
  • Who Must Be Vaccinated: Employees and students

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign

  • Announced: June 21
  • Who Must Be Vaccinated: Employees and students

As of July 20, 586 colleges were mandating the vaccine in some capacity. The list compiled by the publication is updated regularly.

As the delta variant continues to spread across the country, the number of colleges requiring the vaccine will likely climb. Daily average coronavirus cases in the United States are hovering near 35,000, a 200 percent increase from 14 days ago, according to a database compiled by The New York Times. Deaths are also up 75 percent.

Colleges will also be battling a decline in the number of people seeking vaccines. Demand has slowed considerably in recent weeks and, currently, just under 60 percent of all adults in the United States are considered fully vaccinated.

In 2020, the pandemic emptied dormitories, lecture halls and other facilities as colleges shifted to remote instruction.

This year, college officials are hoping to avoid a repeat of last year in hopes of offering students a more traditional experience, which means in-person lectures, study groups in the library, and social gatherings.

So far, colleges have typically taken four different approaches, according to a report by U.S. News & World Report. While some are fully requiring vaccines, others are offering students incentives to voluntarily get immunized. Some are waiting to see if the U.S. Food and Drug Administration fully approves a vaccine. Others are simply opting not to require it.

Currently, all COVID-19 vaccines in use in the United States have received emergency use authorization by the FDA, a status that some experts say makes mandating the vaccine a “legal gray area,” U.S. News reported.

Once the FDA fully approves a vaccine, colleges should have no difficulty requiring it, especially considering most already require students to provide proof of other vaccinations.Thank (2)Reply (124)Share

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