The California State University announced today that it will require faculty, staff and students who are accessing university facilities or programs to receive a vaccine booster shot in order to be fully immunized against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, and in compliance with the university's COVID-19 vaccination policy.
The new requirement calls for boosters to be received by February 28, 2022 or six months after an individual received the final dose of the original vaccination, whichever is later. However, individual campuses may establish an earlier date for compliance for students and non-represented employees based on local circumstances.
“Vaccination, including a booster when eligible, remains our most effective strategy against infection and severe disease," said CSU Chancellor Joseph I. Castro. “This is particularly important in light of the rapid rise of cases of COVID-19 throughout the state and nation as the Omicron variant spreads. Implementing the booster requirement now will help mitigate the potential spread of the variant on campuses as they repopulate in January after the winter break."
As announced previously, the CSU's COVID-19 vaccination policy allows students and employees to seek exemptions on medical and religious grounds.
The university's new requirement will take effect immediately upon implementation of the policy; however, represented employees will not be subject to the booster requirement until the CSU concludes its meet-and-confer process with its labor unions.
The revised policy is available at https://calstate.policystat.com/policy/10621049/latest/.
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About the California State University
The California State University is the largest system of four-year higher education in the country, with 23 campuses, 56,000 faculty and staff and 477,000 students. Nearly 40 percent of the CSU's undergraduate students transfer from California Community Colleges. Created in 1960, the mission of the CSU is to provide high-quality, affordable education to meet the ever-changing needs of California. With its commitment to quality, opportunity and student success, the CSU is renowned for superb teaching, innovative research and for producing job-ready graduates. Each year, the CSU awards more than 132,000 degrees. One in every 20 Americans holding a college degree is a graduate of the CSU and our alumni are 4 million strong. Connect with and learn more about the CSU in the CSU NewsCenter.