The University of Delaware announced Thursday all students will be required to get a COVID-19 booster shot for spring semester.
Students needed to be fully vaccinated prior to returning this fall, and the university says as a result, over 90 percent of students were fully vaccinated over six months ago, making them eligible for a booster shot before the start of spring semester.
UD also notes a change from the fall. All students, whether attending classes in person or online, must follow the vaccination requirements. The university says because any student has access to campus facilities regardless of how they attend classes, everyone needs to get a booster shot.
The university suggests the new risks associated with the highly contagious omicron variant and rising cases in the state warrant the need to ensure that UD students are as protected as possible.
The number of new cases per week at the university remained low throughout the fall semester, save for a spike when students moved back on campus. But numbers are slowly creeping back up. The university reported 56 new cases last week.
Students who received a vaccine exemption will be required to get tested weekly.
Roman Battaglia is a corps member with Report for America, a national service program that places journalists into local newsrooms.
