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

Health, wellness and prevention

1. Vaccines

In the spirit of caring for each other and for our surrounding community, DePaul will require students, faculty and staff​ to be vaccinated for COVID-19 when the 2021-22 academic year begins.

Students
This requirement includes all undergraduate, graduate and professional students in all degree programs starting in the fall 2021 term. The deadline to submit vaccine documentation is Aug. 20. 

Employees
All full- and part-time faculty and staff must be fully vaccinated by Sept. 20. College of Law employees will be required to have at least one vaccine dose by Aug. 23, the first day of classes for the College of Law autumn term.

DePaul requires all employees be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 by Friday, Sept. 3 in preparation for the return to campus this fall. 

College of Law employees will be required to have at least one vaccine dose by Aug. 23, the first day of classes for the College of Law autumn term.

Students must comply with the COVID-19 vaccination requirement. 

Not doing so may result in the cancelation of in-person autumn term courses, and students will be permitted to register only for online courses. Additionally, if students do not meet this requirement, their card key access to events on campus will be restricted.

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

Students can check your immunization status and/or complete their vaccine requirements through Campus Connect. 

Visit the Immunization Requirements website for more information and instructions on how to submit your documentation.

​To request a medical or religious exemption, please email employeerelations@depaul.edu. For more information about these accommodations and how to request one, visit Human Resources.

​DePaul will email information to employees in the coming weeks about attesting to their COVID-19 vaccination. ​

DePaul is committed to assisting students in getting access to the vaccine. An on-campus vaccination clinic was conducted in the spring and there are plans to conduct another on campus clinic this fall. In addition, DePaul partnered in the spring with the City of Chicago and Cook County to provide access to the vaccine to the university community. All students, faculty and staff are strongly encouraged to schedule their vaccine appointments as soon as possible through locally run distribution sites, pharmacies or their health care providers. Check DePaul’s COVID-19 Vaccine webpage for more information.



​Exemptions are detailed on DePaul's Immunization webpage. 

Yes, DePaul University accepts all vaccines approved by the World Health Organization (WHO) and will abide by the following guidance:  

​Vaccine
​Vaccine status 
​Action needed 
​​Vaccine authorized for emergency use by WHO ​
​Completed 

Do not need to take an additional dose of a U.S. FDA-authorized COVID-19 vaccine 
​​Vaccine authorized for emergency use by WHO 
​Partial 
​Take a U.S. FDA-authorized COVID-19 vaccine, taken 28 days after your most recent non-FDA approved dose 
​Vaccine NOT authorized for emergency use by WHO 
​Partial or completed 
​Take a U.S. FDA-authorized COVID-19 vaccine, taken 28 days after your most recent non-FDA approved dose 
​



​There is no cost for the vaccine. However, vaccination providers can charge an administration fee for giving the shot that is reimbursed by the patient’s public or private insurance company, or for uninsured patients, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Health Resources and Services Administration. No one can be denied a vaccine if they are unable to pay the administration fee.

This administrative fee can not be passed on to the patient in the form of a co-pay or deductible. For more information, visit the Illinois Department of Public Health. 

Yes. Individuals do not need to be a U.S. citizen to get a COVID-19 vaccine in Chicago. According to the city of Chicago, “the COVID-19 vaccine is free to everyone, regardless of insurance or immigration status."  

However, individuals may need to prove city-residency. To review Chicago's list of approved documents to approve residency for the city-supported sites, visit here. ​

2. COVID-19 Testing

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

For Chicago residents, please visit the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) website for testing location information. Testing locations and hours of operation may change, particularly for mobile testing sites, so please check the CDPH website prior to visiting a location for the most up-to-date information.  

The DePaul community can also request DePaul's mail-in testing kit. It is free for faculty, staff and students who reside in the U.S.  This option is for those with symptoms or known exposure to an individual who has tested positive and are having difficulty finding an accessible testing site. This is a FDA-approved test that detects the virus's genetic material using a technique called polymerase chain reaction (PCR). For more information on mail-in testing, please visit DePaul's COVID-19 Testing web page .

​

​DePaul students, faculty and staff living in the U.S. are eligible to request a mail-in kit. ​For more information, visit ​Newsline​. 

DePaul paused its surveillance testing program for summer. Plans for fall are still under consideration.

​

While we know we will have some form of on-campus testing in the fall, DePaul’s plans will evolve between now and September based on updated guidance from the Centers for Disease Control, the Chicago Department of Public Health, and our medical advisor from AMITA Health. The most important information to know is that testing will be accessible to all students, just as is it now. Visit DePaul’s COVID-19 Testing webpage for the latest information.

​

3. Contact Tracing

If you have any questions or concerns please email  DePaulCommunityHealth@depaul.edu​. 

If you learn of a confirmed case of COVID-19 or a case of exposure to an individual with COVID-19:
  • ​Report about yourself here​
  • Report about someone else here​​​
​
Please note that the privacy and anonymity of employees who have tested positive for COVID-19 and those who may be part of a contact tracing investigation will be maintained. 

To learn more about DePaul's reporting process, please visit Newsline​. 

​Contact tracing is a process that local health departments use to control and prevent the spread of diseases, like COVID-19. By identifying and isolating cases, and quarantining close contacts, the spread of COV​ID-19 may be averted in the absence of effective vaccines.

​For more information about contact tracing and DePaul's efforts, please visit Newsline​. ​

​A case is someone who tested positive for COVID-19 or has been diagnosed with COVID-19 by a medical professional. A person who developed symptoms after being exposed to a case may also be considered a case. ​

​For more information about contact tracing and DePaul's efforts, please visit Newsline​. ​​

​A close contact is someone who has been in close physical contact with a case, or within six feet for 15 minutes, of an identified case while they were infectious. After being identified as a close contact, a person may be recommended to stay-at-home for 14 days after their last known exposure and monitor any symptoms that arise.  

​For more information about contact tracing and DePaul's efforts, please visit Newsline​. ​​​

To help monitor the health and safety on campus, and to assist those in our community, a DePaul-specific contact tracing team has been put in place. This team has been trained by Johns Hopkins University on contact tracing, and on DePaul specific protocols and procedures.  

​For more information about contact tracing and DePaul's efforts, please visit Newsline​. ​​

If you are an identified case, a contact tracer will interview you to determine the period in which you may have been infectious. You will be asked to identify people who were in physical close contact with you, within six feet for a period of 15 minutes or more, during the time you were potentially infectious. The contact tracer will also assess your basic needs, and current access to medical care and other services during isolation.

If you have been identified by a case as a close contact, a contact tracer will let you know that you may have been exposed to a person who tested positive for COVID-19. The contact tracer will interview you to assess your risk of getting sick and let you know if you should:
  • Quarantine at home
  • Monitor any symptoms that arise
The contact tracer will also assess your current access to medical care, testing, other services and basic needs during quarantine.

For more information about contact tracing and DePaul's efforts, please visit Newsline. 

​If you have been diagnosed with COVID-19 and have symptoms, you can end home self-isolation when the following three things are met:
  • It’s been at least 24 hours with no fever without using fever-reducing medication
  • Your symptoms improved 
  • It’s been at least 10 days since the symptoms first appeared
If you test positive for COVID-19 but do not have any symptoms, you can end home isolation when the following two things are met​:
  • ​At least 10 days have passed since the date of your first positive COVID-19 test
  • You have had no subsequent illness
​For more information about contact tracing and DePaul's efforts, please visit Newsline​. ​

​You may be contacted several times during the course of your isolation or quarantine to assess your basic needs, and current access to medical care and other services on an ongoing basis.​
​
For more information about contact tracing and DePaul's efforts, please visit Newsline​. ​

4. University Safety Measures

The DePaul community is no longer required to show their completed #CampusClear survey prior to entering a DePaul facility.

However, to continue to Take Care DePaul, it is highly recommended that you complete the quick survey. That way you can take a moment to reflect on how you're feeling. If you're showing symptoms, stay home to avoid putting others at risk of getting sick.

​​​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.

As of Monday, June 14, in alignment with guidance from the city and state, fully vaccinated individuals on campus will be highly encouraged—though not required—to wear a face mask indoors. Individuals who have not been vaccinated are expected to wear a mask at all times. 

DePaul thanks our community for their cooperation thus far in wearing face masks to take care of one another. To Take Care DePaul and to continue to support DePaul's aim to be as a mask-friendly campus, vaccinated people who still want to wear a mask for their personal comfort are more than welcome to do so and the DePaul community is expected to support their choices.

For more information on how to properly wear a face mask, ​please review the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's updated guidelines. 

If anyone needs a face mask, disposable paper masks will be available at a limited number of first-floor desk areas near building entrances.

Gloves are not required for most on campus. It is far more important to wash hands frequently and thoroughly, or use hand sanitizer when washing is not possible, and avoid touching one's face.

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.

​

Submit a question

If you can’t find an answer that you’re looking for, submit a question to our COVID-19 response team.