The University of California system is now requiring an additional vaccine mandate. Students, staff and faculty at all of the UC campuses will need to be vaccinated for the flu, in addition to the already mandated Covid-19 vaccine. The announcement came down last week that anyone studying or working at one of the 10 UC campuses or any facility is to get vaccinated for the flu by November 19th of this fall semester. People can opt out of the flu vaccine mandate if they wear face masks on campus through the end of the flu season.
“With the COVID-19 pandemic continuing, the potential confluence of infections from COVID-19 and influenza poses a threat to the health and safety of the UC community and the public at large” a press release read.
Health services provided from the campus to students and staff cover the flu vaccine without a copay. The UC system has over 280,000 students and about 227,000 faculty and staff across 10 state campuses. The system also includes 5 medical centers and 3 national laboratories. The mandate does not apply to anyone attending classes online.