BY SANDRA GUY

Just days after a DePaul University professor told the student newspaper about COVID vaccination obstacles, the university announced it will require students to be vaccinated against the coronavirus starting in Fall 2021.

“In the spirit of caring for each other and for our surrounding community, DePaul has decided to require students to be vaccinated for COVID-19 when the 2021-22 academic year begins,” the university announced April 22.

“This requirement covers all undergraduate, graduate and professional students in all degree programs who intend to be on campus for any period of time starting in the fall 2021 term,” the announcement said.

“While documented medical and religious exemptions will be accommodated, we expect the vast majority of students will be vaccinated.”

DePaul administrators asked students to take a survey about how they feel about being vaccinated, but made it clear that they’re keeping that information anonymous.

Yet DePaul students have proudly posted their vaccination successes on social media, and student workers complained to the student newspaper that they wanted more stringent protections on campus.

One employee of the university mail and print services told The DePaulia that he left his job because of what he described as a persistent Covid-unsafe work environment.

Chicago has confronted vaccine shortages, overloaded and complicated online vaccine sign-up systems, and suburbanites jumping the vaccine lines ahead of city residents.

Those issues are slowly being resolved, as DePaul set up a Moderna vaccine clinic for faculty, staff and students April 27-29, and Chicago officials said all of its mass vaccination sites will start accepting walk-in appointments on April 23.