CSU mandates COVID booster for all students, staff and faculty on all 23 campuses
UCLA, UCI to shift to remote learning in January; COVID boosters mandated
UCLA and UC Irvine are among the University of California campuses that will revert to remote classes for the first two weeks of the winter term in January in response to surging COVID-19 cases, the universities announced Tuesday.
LOS ANGELES - The California State University announced Wednesday that faculty, staff, and students who are accessing university facilities or programs will be required to get a COVID-19 vaccine booster shot.
Students and employees will be permitted to seek exemptions on medical and religious grounds.
"Vaccination, including a booster when eligible, remains our most effective strategy against infection and severe disease," CSU Chancellor Joseph Castro said. "This is particularly important in light of the rapid rise of cases of COVID-19 throughout the state and nation as the Omicron variant spreads. Implementing the booster requirement now will help mitigate the potential spread of the variant on campuses as they repopulate in January after the winter break."
Get your top stories delivered daily! Sign up for FOX 11’s Fast 5 newsletter. And, get breaking news alerts in the FOX 11 News app. Download for iOS or Android.
The new requirement calls for boosters to be received by Feb. 28, or six months after an individual received the final dose of the original vaccination, whichever is later. Individual campuses may establish an earlier date for compliance for students and non-represented employees based on local circumstances.
The new requirement will take effect immediately upon implementation of the policy. Represented employees will not be subject to the booster requirement until the CSU concludes its meet-and-confer process with its labor unions.
RELATED: UC schools mandate COVID-19 boosters, consider remote learning when classes return in January
The policy applies to all 23 CSU campuses, including Cal State Long Beach, Cal State Los Angeles, Cal Poly Pomona, Cal State Dominguez Hills, Cal State Northridge and Cal State Fullerton.
The CSU's announcement comes one day after University of California President Dr. Michael Drake sent a letter to all 10 system chancellors stressing that COVID vaccine booster shots will be required for eligible students and staff.
Drake also directed the chancellors to develop a plan for a possible switch to remote learning when courses resume in January, which UCLA and UC Irvine said they would do for at least the first two weeks of the winter term.
Tune in to FOX 11 Los Angeles for the latest Southern California news.