April 28, 2021
Washington State University (WSU), as the state’s land-grant university,
has an obligation to serve the public good and promote the health and safety
of the communities it serves. The COVID‑19 vaccine, now widely available, has
been shown to nearly eliminate the chances of death or serious illness related
to a COVID‑19 infection, and is a critical element in protecting public health
locally and worldwide.
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Vaccine requirements for students
WSU system-wide will require proof of the COVID‑19 vaccination for the
2021–2022 academic year for all students engaging in activities at a
WSU campus or location.Exemptions will be allowed for medical, religious, or personal reasons.
Information about how to submit proof of vaccination and the process to
request an exemption will be provided in the coming months.Students whose programs are fully online and/or for which an
on‑campus/location presence does not occur are automatically
exempted from this requirement.In order to participate in any on‑site or in‑person courses and activities,
students at all WSU locations will be expected to be vaccinated by the start
of the fall semester. Some programs may designate an earlier date for proof of
vaccination or an exemption based on when fall semester in‑person activities
begin. All WSU Pullman students living in university-owned housing will
need to provide proof of vaccination, or have an approved exemption, by Friday,
August 6, 2021. For students who have been granted exemptions, the
university retains discretion to modify housing assignments as it deems
necessary to protect public health and safety.Beginning Monday, November 1, 2021, students not living in
university housing or with program-specific requirements will be required
to have documented proof of vaccine or an approved exemption. Students who
fail to meet this requirement will be prevented from registering for spring
semester courses and/or face other restrictions. Students with approved
exemptions may be required to participate in regular COVID‑19 testing
and/or other COVID‑19 public health measures. -
Vaccine requirements for employees
WSU system-wide intends to extend the requirement to all employees
and volunteers engaging in activities on a WSU worksite. Exemptions
will be allowed for medical, religious, or personal reasons. Any employees and
volunteers who receive exemptions may be subject to COVID‑19 testing
and/or other COVID‑19 public health measures. More information, including
how to submit proof of vaccination or an exemption, will be provided
in the coming months. -
Acceptable vaccines
WSU will accept proof of any vaccine that was authorized for use in the
United States at the time of administration. For vaccinations requiring
two doses, students and employees must have received both doses of the vaccine
to meet the requirement. Proof of vaccination will also be required for anyone
with a prior diagnosis of COVID‑19. WSU will work with any international
students and employees who may have received a vaccine that is not approved
for use in the United States.
The University reserves the right to modify this policy at any time in
accordance with changing public health guidance or directives, best practices,
and/or university needs.
Additional information about the requirement process will be made available
this summer. For employee-related questions, please contact Human Resources
Services at [email protected] or 509‑335‑4521. For student-related questions and
all other inquiries, please email covid‑[email protected].
