COVID-19 Updates and Guidance > FAQs > Health, wellness and prevention

Health, wellness and prevention

1. Student Vaccine Info

DePaul requires all students, faculty and staff to receive a COVID-19 vaccine and booster as soon as they are eligible. 

Students can review DePaul's immunization requirements, apply for an exemption and read detailed instructions here​. 

This requirement includes all undergraduate, graduate and professional students in all degree programs. Students will be unable to register for subsequent terms if they've failed to provide documentation verifying that they meet the immunization requirements. 


To submit your immunization records*, be sure to have an electronic copy and use your BlueKey information to log in to the Student Homepage in Campus Connect>Student Resources>Immunization Status. 

For more information, visit DePaul's Immunization website. ​

Students must comply with the COVID-19 booster requirement. Students will not be able to register for subsequent terms if they've failed to submit documentation verifying that they meet the university's immunization requirements. 



​No. Students who are only enrolled in online classes do not need to comply. As a result, they may not participate in any in-person classes or any on-campus co-curricular programs or experiences on either of DePaul’s campuses.

If they are interested in doing so, they are required to be vaccinated and boosted for COVID-19, or have received a medical or religious exemption from the requirement. They must also upload their immunization documentation through Campus Connect. 

The vaccination and booster requirement is a major part of the university’s efforts to keep the DePaul campus community safe.​

​Exemptions are detailed on DePaul's Immunization webpage. 

To learn more about finding and scheduling a booster appointment in your area, visit DePaul's COVID-19 Vaccine Resource web page.

​Getting sick with COVID-19 offers some protection from future illness with COVID-19, sometimes called “natural immunity." The level of protection people get from having COVID-19 may vary depending on how mild or severe their illness was, the time since their infection, and their age. No currently available test can reliably determine if a person is protected from infection.

All COVID-19 vaccines currently available in the United States are effective at preventing COVID-19. Getting a COVID-19 vaccine gives most people a high level of protection against COVID-19 even in people who have already been sick with COVID-19.

Emerging evidence shows that getting a COVID-19 vaccine after you recover from COVID-19 infection provides added protection to your immune system. One study showed that, for people who already had COVID-19, those who do not get vaccinated after their recovery are more than 2 times as likely to get COVID-19 again than those who get fully vaccinated after their recovery.

People who were treated for COVID-19 with monoclonal antibodies or convalescent plasma or people who have a history of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in adults or children (MIS-A or MIS-C) may need to wait a while after recovering before they can get vaccinated. Talk to your doctor if you are unsure what treatments you received or if you have more questions about getting a COVID-19 vaccine.​

No. Like any other medical treatment and condition, a student's vaccination status is personal health information, which is confidential under university policy and is a record protected by FERPA. The University Registrar maintains all immunization records according to these requirements. Moreover, some individuals may not be able to get the vaccine due to medical or other reasons and, in line with DePaul's mission, we must practice inclusiveness and care to all members or our community and respect the privacy and dignity of every person.

If you're an Illinois resident or were vaccinated in Illinois, including at DePaul, you can request immunization records by: 

Yes, DePaul University accepts all vaccines approved by the World Health Organization (WHO). Review DePaul's vaccination requirements web page for more information. 

According to the CDC, if you completed a Pfizer, Moderna or Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine primary series outside of the United States you should follow the guidance above for booster shots.
 
Otherwise, if you were vaccinated abroad with other COVID-19 vaccines you can get a booster shot if you are 16 years or older and you either: 
If you meet the above requirements you can get a single booster shot of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine at least five months after getting all recommended doses or completing a mix and match COVID-19 vaccine series.

2. Employee Vaccine Info

DePaul requires all students, faculty and staff to receive a COVID-19 booster as soon as they are eligible. 

Faculty and staff who do not submit the proper vaccination or booster documentation, and do not receive approval for a religious or medical exemption may be subject to​ corrective action, up to and including termination, under the university’s policies and procedures and the Faculty Handbook, as applicable.

To learn more about finding and scheduling a vaccine booster appointment in your area, visit DePaul's COVID-19 Vaccine Resource web page.

To attest to your COVID-19 vaccine booster, employees should: 

  • Visit https://hitl-depaul.secure.force.com/DePaulCOVIDTracking
  • As instructed, enter your 7-digit DePaul ID number. It can be found on your DePaul ID or in Blue Sky as your "person number."​
  • Vaccinerecords@mailing.depaul.edu will send an email to your DePaul email address with a secure link.
  • Upon receiving the email, click on the link to securely submit your vaccine information and to upload a photo of your vaccination card.
  • Please complete all fields, including the Vaccine Booster Dose Date and the Booster Dose Vaccination Lot #.

​Yes, per CDC: You should get a COVID-19 vaccine even if you already had COVID-19.

Getting sick with COVID-19 offers some protection from future illness with COVID-19, sometimes called “natural immunity." The level of protection people get from having COVID-19 may vary depending on how mild or severe their illness was, the time since their infection, and their age. No currently available test can reliably determine if a person is protected from infection.

All COVID-19 vaccines currently available in the United States are effective at preventing COVID-19. Getting a COVID-19 vaccine gives most people a high level of protection against COVID-19 even in people who have already been sick with COVID-19.
Emerging evidence shows that getting a COVID-19 vaccine after you recover from COVID-19 infection provides added protection to your immune system. One study showed that, for people who already had COVID-19, those who do not get vaccinated after their recovery are more than 2 times as likely to get COVID-19 again than those who get fully vaccinated after their recovery.

People who were treated for COVID-19 with monoclonal antibodies or convalescent plasma or people who have a history of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in adults or children (MIS-A or MIS-C) may need to wait a while after recovering before they can get vaccinated. Talk to your doctor if you are unsure what treatments you received or if you have more questions about getting a COVID-19 vaccine.

Anyone who was previously approved for a medical or religious exemption for the COVID vaccine requirement does not need to request an additional accommodation for the booster.



​If you're an Illinois resident or were vaccinated in Illinois, including at DePaul, you can request immunization records by: 

3. COVID-19 Testing

No. You do not need to demonstrate a negative result to return to campus. However, those who test positive for COVID-19 should visit the CDC’s we​bsite for the most up-to-date instructions on quarantine, isolation and safety measures.

If you have been exposed to COVID-19, you should follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s instructions.​

For the most up-to-date information on DePaul's COVID-19 testing options, please visit DePaul's COVID-19 Testing web page.​

If you have been exposed to COVID-19, you should follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s instructions.
​

Rapid COVID-19 tests will be available for students, faculty or staff. Visit DePaul’s COVID-19 Testing webpage for more information on where to obtain them. Campus housing staff will provide tests to on-campus residents on weekends or holidays as needed.

For faculty and staff enrolled in the university's HMO, PPO or CDHP plans, DePaul's medical plan pharmacy benefits cover over the counter COVID diagnostic tests up to $12 per test and up to eight tests every 30 days per person. For more information, visit DePaul’s COVID-19 Testing page.

4. Contact Tracing

No. DePaul is an open community, and given how prevalent the virus is, it can be difficult to identify the source and place of infection. Often someone contracts the virus off campus. In addition, the latest CDC guidance recommends limiting contact tracing to hospitals and high-risk group-living situations such as nursing homes. As a result, DePaul is discontinuing on-campus COVID-19 reporting and contact tracing for the 2022-2023 academic year. ​

5. Face Masks

While DePaul no longer requires masks, wearing a mask indoors on campus is highly recommended. Masks will continue to be available at the first-floor desk areas near building entrances. If you are joining a meeting or gathering and a participant asks you to wear a mask, please do so. 
​

​Yes. DePaul will remain a mask-friendly campus out of concern for fellow students and colleagues, and in the spirit of Take Care DePaul. If you are joining a meeting or gathering and a participant asks you to wear a mask, please do so.
 
The community can also download a mask-friendly zone poster to hang in their dorm, office or cubicle to share their mask-wearing preference with others.

While DePaul no longer requires masks, wearing a mask indoors on campus is highly recommended. Masks will continue to be available at the first-floor desk areas near building entrances. If someone in a meeting asks you to wear a mask, please do so.
​

6. University Safety Measures

​​​No. Like any other medical treatment and condition, a student's vaccination status is personal health information, which is confidential under university policy and is a record protected by FERPA. The University Registrar maintains all immunization records according to these requirements. Moreover, some individuals may not be able to get the vaccine due to medical or other reasons and, in line with DePaul's mission, we must practice inclusiveness and care to all members of our community and respect the privacy and dignity of every person.

​From August 2020 to August 2022, DePaul maintained and regularly updated a dashboard, providing the community with the number positive COVID-19 cases on-campus. 

Following DePaul's Aug. 18 announcement, the university has discontinued ​on-campus COVID-19 reporting. However, archived data can be found here.

For the most up-to-date information on the number of COVID-19 cases within the ​City of Chicago, please visit Chicago's COVID Dashboard.

Health Services are offered through AMITA Sage Medical Group at 1150 W. Fullerton Ave, in Lincoln Park.

The program offers basic medical care for minor illnesses and injuries for a quarterly fee. It is NOT a health insurance plan. If a student lives in a residence hall, except for University Center, they are automatically enrolled in DePaul Student Health Service.

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Submit a question

If you can’t find an answer that you’re looking for, please email DePaulCommunityHealth@depaul.edu.

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