Mandate Confirmation

In an earlier post on this blog, we noted that UCOP appeared to have changed its vaccine mandate policy. Previous announcements had indicated that vaccination would be required only upon FDA approval (which might or might not happen before fall semester or fall quarter (depending on campus and program). But the most recent announcement from UCOP made no mention of the FDA proviso. No explanation was provided, nor was it clear whether or not the policy had changed.*

Now, however, we have confirmation that the policy has been changed and the mandate will go ahead regardless of FDA's timing. From the San Francisco Chronicle:

In an about-face, the University of California will require all students, staff and faculty to be vaccinated against the coronavirus this fall, even though the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the vaccines only for emergency use. UC President Michael Drake “does plan to move forward with the vaccine mandate,” Regent Eloy Oritz Oakley told The Chronicle on Monday.

The decision reverses a proposed policy UC announced in April of requiring vaccinations only after the FDA fully approved at least one of the three vaccines now being administered to American under emergency authorization. It’s not clear when the FDA will give full approval...

Oakley said the regents have not been briefed on the new decision but that more information is expected at their two-day meeting that starts July 21...**

UC has already said it would exempt students from the vaccination requirement if they have medical or religious reasons...

Full story at https://www.sfchronicle.com/health/article/UC-reverses-course-will-require-all-students-and-16247884.php

====

*https://uclafacultyassociation.blogspot.com/2021/06/mandate.html.

**Note: It's unclear why the matter wouldn't be discussed at the upcoming June 23rd meeting. See:

https://uclafacultyassociation.blogspot.com/2021/06/unusual-off-cycle-regents-meeting.html.