Washington State University will no longer allow students to claim personal or philosophical exemptions from its COVID-19 vaccination requirement, the school announced Thursday, citing the “increasing threat of the delta variant for those who are unvaccinated.”
The change will happen once the FDA grants approval to any of the three vaccines under emergency use authorization, WSU said in a statement this week. The school also announced that it is moving up its vaccination deadline from November, so students will have until Sept. 10 to initiate the vaccination process.
If a student doesn’t get vaccinated, the school said it “may impact (their) ability to participate in campus events and (they) will need to wear a mask while on campus.” Students who don’t get the shot also won’t be able to register for spring classes, and a hold will be placed on their accounts.
WSU begins its fall term on Aug. 23. (Seattle Times)
