Boosters Required At Northwestern, Loyola, University Of Chicago

CHICAGO — Administrators at private universities in the Chicago area announced that COVID-19 vaccine booster shots will be required for students, faculty and staff next month.

Loyola University of Chicago was the first local school to make boosters mandatory. President Jo Ann Rooney and Provost Margaret Faut Callahan said Wednesday in a message to employees and students that everyone is required to get a booster shot as soon as they are eligible.

People who have been already granted religious or medical exemptions are not required to provide proof of a booster shot, but they must continue to take part in regular surveillance testing.

On Monday, with new COVID-19 infections surging and a majority of new cases now comprised of the antibody-evading omicron variant, administrators at Northwestern University and the University of Chicago announced their own booster requirements.

All three universities made COVID-19 vaccination mandatory for people to work or study on campus earlier this year.

Northwestern students and staff have until Jan. 30 to get a booster — or 30 days after they become eligible. The deadline at the University of Chicago is Jan. 31.

Northwestern will also shift to fully remote learning through Jan. 18, administrators said. Students who intend to be on campus during that period are required to take two tests and submit the results.

"The fast spread of the omicron variant and guidance from our medical experts have caused us to reconsider the plans we shared with you earlier this month," Vice President Luke Figora, Provost Kathleen Hagerty and Interim Vice President Priya Harjani said in a joint statement.

There were 476 new COVID-19 cases detected during the week ending Sunday, according to the university's online dashboard. The positivity rate was nearly 13 percent.

"Northwestern’s COVID-19 booster requirement does not apply to people who have previously received a non-temporary exception to Northwestern’s COVID-19 vaccination requirement, including those who have personal medical conditions or sincerely held religious beliefs that prevent them from being vaccinated," the administrators said. "As appropriate, Northwestern will engage with union representatives to discuss applications of this requirement to union-represented employees."

More than 98 percent of Northwestern's faculty and staff have provided proof of vaccination, with less than 2 percent requesting an exception, according to a message from Hagerty in September.

At the University of Chicago, 97 percent of students and 98 percent of employees are compliant with vaccination requirements, Provost Ka Yee Lee and Executive Vice President Katie Callow-Wright said Monday in a joint message.

University officials said their goal was to return to fully in-person research and classes starting Jan. 3. They also urged students to get a COVID-19 test within 72 hours prior to returning to its Hyde Park campus and after attending a large gathering.

"While there are some who are feeling COVID-19 fatigue and may be tempted to eschew public health precautions, please remember that the health of our entire community depends on the actions of all of us," the administrators said. "With the Omicron and Delta variants circulating in the United States, and the fluid and fast changing nature of the COVID-19 pandemic, we urge you to remain as vigilant as ever to protect yourselves and others and watch for updates from the University."

The new vaccine booster mandate does not apply to employees of the University of Chicago Medical Center or clinically active faculty and staff at the Biological Sciences Division, Lee and Callow-Wright said.

According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, the number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 infections has reached its highest point of 2021 — surpassing the peak number of hospitalizations recorded in January, prior to the wide availability of vaccines.

More than 80 percent of the Illinois population aged 12 and over has received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine. And nearly three out of four adults are fully vaccinated. About 2.75 million Illinoisans — nearly 22 percent of the population — have received booster shots, according to IDPH vaccination data.