Beginning with the 2022 summer term, the University of Cincinnati (UC) will no longer require students, staff, or faculty to receive COVID-19 vaccines.
The move comes a month after UC lifted its mask mandate inside campus buildings.
However, the public research university “strongly recommends” vaccination and the use of masks, adding that it will continue to consult with medical health experts to modify its responses to the pandemic as needed.
Universities Lift Restrictions
UC is one of only a handful of higher education institutions to drop the COVID-19 vaccine mandate implemented by many schools last year.
Earlier this year, public schools in Virginia, including Virginia Commonwealth, George Mason, Radford, and Virginia Tech, reversed their COVID-19 vaccination policies.
The move came in response to a legal opinion issued by state Attorney General Jason Miyares rescinding the testing mandate at public universities as a condition for enrollment or in-person attendance.
Last month, the University of Hawaii (UH) also suspended mandatory vaccination and testing requirements for students and employees, including regular testing for unvaccinated members on campus.
The university said its decision was based on guidance provided by a team of UH medical and public health experts and reflected “the latest COVID-19 guidance from the state and federal government.”