Duke announces COVID-19 booster shot mandate for all students, employees

Duke has mandated that all students and employees receive the COVID-19 booster shot, per a Monday morning email to students, faculty and staff from Provost Sally Kornbluth and Vice President for Administration Kyle Cavanaugh.

Under the mandate, all Duke University, Duke University Health System and Private Diagnostic Clinic students and employees must submit proof of receiving the booster “in January or as soon as they are eligible under [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] and state guidelines,” the email reads.

Kornbluth and Cavanaugh also wrote that Duke is “closely monitoring” local and national COVID-19 conditions to determine if they will make any changes in plans for the start of the spring 2022 semester in January.

More than 20,000 faculty and staff members as well as nearly 4,000 students have already received their booster shots, per the email. Those who have not received it are encouraged to do so and submit documentation as soon as possible. Booster shot appointments are available on Duke's campus.

Duke will share more guidelines and details regarding compliance to the mandate in the coming days, Kornbluth and Cavanaugh wrote.

This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.

---