University Of Illinois President On Why Students Must Be Vaccinated To Attend Fall Semester

As the surge of delta variant cases threatens the return to normalcy students hope for this fall semester, universities across the nation are scrambling to figure out their evolving response to the pandemic.

The Supreme Court recently upheld Indiana University’s vaccine mandate with Justice Amy Coney Barrett dismissing student lawsuits that claimed the requirement violated their constitutional rights to “bodily integrity, autonomy, and medical choice.” The students acknowledged the university’s medical and religious exemptions “virtually guaranteed” anyone an exemption if they sought one.

The University of Illinois System is another institution mandating its students, faculty and staff to get vaccinated before arriving on campus. It also requires everyone to wear masks in indoor spaces regardless of vaccination status.

“We give our students, faculty and staff a choice: If they want to be on campus, we are requiring vaccinations,” says UI system president Timothy Killeen. “If for whatever medical or religious reason a student, for example, can't get vaccinated, we have the backup of frequent, fast, very accurate testing.”