The three campuses in Urbana-Champaign, Springfield, and Chicago all have different vaccine exemption policies. In Springfield, UIS says get vaccinated or prove you should be exempt, otherwise don't come to campus.
"I think it's really good that everyone here has to get vaccinated to be on campus, but I know a lot of people who think otherwise because they're scared of it,” UIS freshman Mina Edmondson said.
While the vast majority of students and staff on all three campuses are fully vaccinated, that hasn't stopped some from requesting an exception. UIS has received 89 exemption requests from students and 31 from staff.
UIS says they follow CDC guidelines for medical exemptions, but the CDC doesn't currently list any conditions that would prevent getting the vaccine safely. The campuses all require a doctor’s approval for any medical exemption.
UIS also says they follow Illinois regulations for religious exemptions. Those state that you must prove your specific religious belief isn't compatible with vaccinations, and that general moral or philosophical objections don’t qualify.
This article appeared on WICS on September 9, 2021.