OHIO — Three of Ohio's largest universities are joining the trend to require all students, staff and faculty to receive a COVID-19 vaccination before the end of the fall semester.
Miami University in Oxford and Ohio University in Athens both announced their vaccination plans early Tuesday. The University of Cincinnati updated its website to reflect a new vaccine requirement later that evening.
Each school will require a student to be fully vaccinated in order to enroll for the spring semester.
What You Need To Know
- Miami, Ohio and Cincinnati are latest universities to require a COVID-19 vaccine
- The decisions follow FDA's full authorization of the Pfizer vaccine on Aug. 23
- Some exceptions will be allowed for medical and religious reasons
- Xavier University, Akron and Kent State among Ohio schools that previously announced mandates
All Miami students, faculty and staff must start the process by Oct. 25 and be fully vaccinated by Nov. 22, the university said. Ohio University said students and staff must be fully vaccinated by Nov. 15.
The deadline for all UC students, faculty and staff to have at least the first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine is Oct. 15. Those receiving a two-dose sequence must have received the second dose by Nov. 15.
"Our focus continues to be the wellbeing of our community. We believe this step best positions our university to meet the needs of our campus community," wrote UC President Neville G. Pinto in a letter to students and staff on Wednesday. "To put it simply, the higher our vaccination rate, the less disruption we anticipate to our academic mission and the better we expect to be able to deliver a more dynamic campus experience."
Eligible vaccines include those from Pfizer, Moderna or Johnson & Johnson. International students, faculty, and staff can present proof of a WHO-approved vaccine as well.
"All of us would like to return to pre-pandemic conditions where we can all be together, collaborating in our vibrant learning community focused on mission and purpose,” Miami University President Gregory P. Crawford said. “Vaccination is a necessary tool to move us toward that goal.”
Each school stated there will be an opportunity to request an exemption of the vaccine requirement for medical reasons, religious reasons or for reasons of conscience.
A temporary deferral may be granted for students or employees who are pregnant, nursing or for those who have had COVID-19 within 90 days of a school's deadline.
Vaccination is a requirement for students who plan to register for classes in the spring or participate in any in-person activities that semester. That includes gaining access to campus facilities, classrooms and residence halls.
Students who do not meet the deadline will not be unenrolled from current classes, the universities said.
Miami stated in its release that employees who choose not to be vaccinated and who do not receive an exemption or deferral may face university disciplinary action.
"Public health experts are tracking an increase in cases in Ohio and on our campuses due to the extremely contagious Delta variant, and we need to do everything we can to continue to show our care and respect for one another and do our part to help keep the entire community safe and healthy," added Dr. Hugh Sherman, Ohio University's president.
The decision by schools comes on the heels of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) fully authorizing the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine on Aug. 23.
Miami University leaders said they have met with faculty, staff, and student groups, and sought feedback from individuals in the campus community about the possibility of a vaccine mandate.
"Their feedback — along with guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and local, state, and federal public health officials — helped shape Miami’s policy," the release said.
These are the latest Buckeye state schools to announce vaccination requirements. Ohio State University began the movement and was quickly followed by mandates from Xavier University, the University of Akron and Kent State University.
Two smaller schools, Otterbein University and Capital University, announced vaccine requirements later last week.
Several other Ohio colleges had announced a vaccine requirement in some form before the FDA’s full authorization, including Cleveland State University, Kenyon College, Ohio Wesleyan University and Case Western Reserve University.
Each universities are offering free vaccines to students, faculty and staff. Information on vaccine locations and COVID-19 policies are available on the Miami University, Ohio University and University of Cincinnati websites.