University of Oregon Will Require COVID-19 Vaccinations for Fall Semester

That means all three of the state’s major public universities have made shots a prerequisite for returning to campus.

University of Oregon dorms_Rick Obst_Flickr
By Latisha Jensen

The University of Oregon has become the third major public university in Oregon to require COVID-19 vaccinations for in-person campus activities.

This announcement came on Monday, May 10 in a letter addressed to students and staff. Portland State University and Oregon State University made this same formal declaration last week.

“The science is clear: the COVID‑19 vaccine effectively eliminates the chances of death or serious illness in nearly all COVID‑19 infections,” wrote the university’s president, Michael H. Schill, in a letter to students and faculty.

The statement echoed many other similar announcements made by public and private universities. It arrived one day before Gov. Kate Brown formally tied vaccination rates to the easing of restrictions on Oregon’s businesses.

“Requiring vaccinations is critical for public health,” Schill wrote. “It will help us to reach the highest level of protection possible, reduce infections, limit many of the disruptions of COVID-19, and safeguard the community we live in.”



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