The California State University (CSU) system will be requiring the coronavirus vaccine for faculty, students and staff for the upcoming school year, officials said Tuesday.
The university announced the new rules after previously saying they wouldn’t mandate the vaccine until it was fully approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
“Because of evolving circumstances, the university is announcing the pending requirement now without waiting for any further action by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration,” the school said.
Proof of vaccination will be due by Sept. 30, with medical and religious exemptions allowed.
“The current surge in COVID cases due to the spread of the highly infectious Delta variant is an alarming new factor that we must consider as we look to maintain the health and well-being of students, employees and visitors to our campuses this fall,” CSU Chancellor Joseph Castro said.
“Receiving a COVID vaccine continues to be the best way to mitigate the spread of the virus. We urge all members of the CSU community to get vaccinated as soon as possible, and announcing this requirement now allows members of the CSU community to receive multiple doses of a vaccine as we head into the beginning of the fall term,” he added.
California State University is the largest public university in the U.S. with around 485,000 students and is one of many colleges that are planning to require the vaccine.
The requirement for the school comes as the delta variant is sweeping the country and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is expected to recommend a mask mandate for vaccinated individuals in some indoor situations.