UC System Announces Vaccine Mandate for All Individuals Returning to All Campuses

The UC Office of the President (UCOP) issued an official policy requiring students, staff and faculty to be fully vaccinated two weeks before returning to any physical campus spaces on Thursday, July 15. 

All persons will be required to submit proof of vaccination, except for individuals with approved medical exemptions or religious and disability accommodations. According to the UCOP, “Employees who choose not to be vaccinated, and have no approved exemption, accommodation or deferral, potentially put others’ health at risk and may face disciplinary actions.”

This policy replaces the UC Interim Policy issued on Dec. 14, 2020, which required all UC personnel to participate in educational training regarding the then-new COVID-19 vaccines.

According to an email sent from UCI Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor Hal Stern on Friday, July 16, the deadlines to submit proof of vaccination for UCI is as follows: 

Main Campus: Sept. 6

School of Medicine: July 21; July 19 for LEAD-ABC and PRIME-LC students 

School of Law: Aug. 3

UCI Health: Sept. 1

Students who will be living in on-campus housing must submit their proof of vaccination two weeks before their move-in date.

Students who have not already done so may submit their vaccine verification by uploading an image of their vaccination card to the UCI Student Health Center Patient Portal. International students who have been vaccinated outside of the U.S. may submit proof that they have received a vaccination approved and authorized by the World Health Organization (WHO).

Employees may submit their vaccine verification at the Occupational Health upload portal.

“We appreciate the many of you who have already received your vaccine or taken steps toward becoming fully vaccinated. For those who are not vaccinated, it is important to consider the timeline,” Stern said in the email.

For questions and assistance regarding uploading vaccination verification documents or obtaining a COVID-19 vaccine, individuals may contact UCI Contact Tracing and Vaccination Navigation Services at contacttracing@uci.edu or (949) 824-2300.

“As we continue progressing toward an in-person fall quarter, we will communicate additional information as it becomes available. Thank you for your patience and cooperation during this transition,” Stern said.

Dhanika Pineda is a 2021-2022 Campus News Editor. She can be reached at campusnews@newuniversity.org

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