Resuming in-person classes will not be as routine as clicking “enroll” for students attending a member school of the Atlanta University Center Consortium — Clark Atlanta University, Morehouse and Spelman College, Morehouse School of Medicine, or the AUC Robert W. Woodruff Library — in the fall

As of April 19, each of the schools will require staff and students be fully vaccinated by the start of the semester. Presidents of the respective institutions and AUCC executive director Michael Ilodge announced the joint decision in a letter sent to current students, staff, faculty members and AUC alumni.

“Being fully vaccinated means two or more weeks have passed since receipt of the second does in a two-dose series, or two or more weeks have passed since receipt of one dose of a single-dose vaccine,” details the letter.

CDC guidelines advise anyone age 16 or older to receive the vaccine. At the time of this report, Georgia has amassed a total of 869,590 confirmed Covid-19 cases and 17,241 related deaths since March 2020. Thus far roughly 3 million Georgians have been fully vaccinated. 

“We take pride in our community, which rallied over the last year to maintain a safe environment for teaching and learning,” continues the letter. “We will continue our strong AUCC partnership as we administer vaccinations in our campus communities and beyond to prioritize and sustain safety in our environment, which will support the excellent outcomes of our invaluable institutions.”

While not everyone may be onboard with getting vaccinated, Spelman has shared that some exemptions will be made for:

• Religious and medical reasons
• Other reasons will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis, allowing for up to one semester of exemption

Guidelines on vaccine exemption for the other institutions are forthcoming.

Those who elect to be vaccinated can do so at various locations throughout the state, including pharmacies, the AUCC Student Health and Wellness Center, and during on-campus vaccine clinics. 

Also located in Atlanta is Emory University, which also will require full vaccinations ahead of the fall semester. University President Gren Fenves tweeted, “We will have all students back to campus and vaccinations will create a healthier environment for everyone. I encourage each student to get vaccinated.”

For additional Georgia vaccine locations and information, click here.