Penn State Mandates COVID Vaccine For All Faculty And Staff

PENNSYLVANIA — All Penn State University faculty and staff members at the Institutions University Park campus must be fully vaccinated, leadership said in an announcement Tuesday.

Vaccinations must be completed by Dec. 8. Officials said the order originally only applied to federal employees and the roughly 1,000 contractors on campus, in compliance with President Joe Biden's executive order last month, but it's now been expanded.

“For all practical intents and purposes, it has become evident that we must extend the mandate to all employees at University Park,” Penn State President Eric J. Barron said in a statement. “The great majority of Penn State employees report being vaccinated, which will accelerate compliance.”

>>117 Suspended At Penn State For Missed COVID Tests, No Vax Proof

Penn State already has a weekly COVID-19 testing requirement for students and employees who have not provided proof of vaccination. The university suspended 117 students last month for missing mandatory tests.

Individuals are not considered to be fully vaccinated until two weeks after their final dose, so Nov. 24 is the deadline to actually get the shot.

For now, the mandate only applies to the University Park campus, although that could change, and all employees across the system are being encouraged to get their shots.

“While the great majority of federal contracts impact the University Park campus, we are closely reviewing the Biden administration’s mandate and how it may apply to employees at other campuses and locations, as other parts of the University also receive government support,” Barron added. “So we are strongly urging all of our employees across the commonwealth to start the vaccination process now, if they have not already done so.”

The school is currently determining the means by which employees will submit vaccine confirmation to university officials.