University of Denver to Require COVID-19 Vaccines for On-Campus Students

Students at the University of Denver will have to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 before returning to campus for the fall term.

The university announced the news in a press release on Tuesday (April 20), stating that the requirement applies to "all undergraduate and graduate students living, learning or working on campus."

Students must provide proof of vaccination — or exemption in the case of approved medical, religious, or personal objections to the vaccine — before the fall term starts. DU is still deciding whether or not to extend the requirement to faculty, staff and visitors.

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"We have made vaccination an urgent priority because we believe a fully vaccinated community is the best way to protect ourselves and each other," said Jeremy Haefner, Chancellor, in the release. "Widespread vaccination will allow us to turn the page on this challenging moment in history, protect the health and safety of the community, and gather together, safely, once again."

Almost 80% of DU's faculty and staff is already at least partially vaccinated. In a partnership with National Jewish Health, the university hopes to provide vaccination opportunities to all students by June.

So far, DU has given out over 20,000 vaccines throughout the partnership.

The NoCo Virus Tracker articles are made possible by our partners, the Keep NoCo Open campaign that reminds citizens to wear a mask, wash your hands, physically distance and support local as Northern Colorado recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic.