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The University of Notre Dame announced Wednesday it is requiring all students to get vaccinated against the flu in order to minimize the cases of influenza on campus and preserve testing resources for COVID-19.
Undergraduate, graduate and professional students must get a flu shot by Monday, Nov. 1. Those who don't receive the shot or have a valid exemption will find a hold on their accounts, preventing them from registering for classes. The decision was made to "minimize our community’s experience with respiratory-based illness," Notre Dame said online. The university also said it will offer free flu vaccines to students, faculty and staff during the annual Flu Vaccine Blitz in October.
The flu shot requirement has become a norm within the pandemic, with many institutions following suit. Universities are worried about a “twindemic,” with the prospect of a bad flu season pushing hospitals already caring for COVID-19 patients to the brink. California's Public Employment Relations Board ruled in July that the University of California system had the right to mandate the flu vaccine for all students and employees without first consulting its employee unions.
