加州州立大学系统是美国最大的四年制大学系统，23所分校、48.5万名学生和数万名员工，而加州大学系统的10所分校有28万名学生。加州州立大学校长约瑟夫·卡斯特罗说：“加州大学和加州州立大学的33个校区有超过100万名学生和员工，因此，这是美国影响最大的大学新冠疫苗计划。”
《洛杉矶时报》报道称，秋季的疫苗命令将允许学生或员工基于医学或宗教原因寻求豁免。加州大学在另一份声明中说，它将要求计划在秋天到校的学生提供文件，以证明他们已接种疫苗或获得医疗豁免。未遵守规定的学生或教职员工将被禁止进入校园或参加学校活动。
根据《高等教育纪事报》的数据，截至22日，全美5300所大学中，只有64所大学（其中只有4所是公立学校）要求师生接种新冠疫苗。在美国的大学里，要求学生接种可预防其它类型疾病的疫苗并不少见。部分大学认为，他们有充分的法律依据要求师生接种新冠疫苗。但也有大学认为，要将新冠疫苗接种的决定权留给学生和教职员工。
"Receiving a vaccine for the virus that causes COVID-19 is a key step people can take to protect themselves, their friends and family, and our campus communities while helping bring the pandemic to an end," said Dr. Michael Drake, president of the University of California.
Damian Dovarganes/AP
The California State University and University of California systems announced on Thursday that all 33 campuses will require students and staff returning for in-person instruction this fall to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
The new directive will go into effect once the Food and Drug Administration gives "full approval" to a COVID-19 vaccine. The Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna shots currently going into people's arms only have an Emergency Use Authorization.
CSU Chancellor Joseph Castro said the two higher education systems enroll and employ more than 1 million students and employees, and called the directive "the most comprehensive and consequential university plan for COVID-19 vaccines in the country."
"Receiving a vaccine for the virus that causes COVID-19 is a key step people can take to protect themselves, their friends and family, and our campus communities while helping bring the pandemic to an end," said
Dr. Michael Drake, president of the University of California, in the joint statement.
The university leaders said the timing of the announcement is intended to give students, faculty and other staff ample time to obtain vaccinations before the start of the fall term. Both UC and Cal State have said schools are preparing for mostly in-person instruction and activities this fall.
Students will be required to update immunization documents with their respective universities as they do with other infectious diseases, including measles, mumps, rubella and chickenpox. Medical exemptions or approved exceptions will have to be cleared prior to campus arrival, according to the latest notice.
Universities across the country have been facing similar decisions as they plan to resume in-person instruction and vaccine availability has become more widespread. As of April 19, all states in the U.S. are offering vaccinations to people ages 16 and up.
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