UC Berkeley: Get Flu Vaccine or Wear Mask on Campus

• The mask mandate stands even if COVID-19 restrictions are "loosened."
• The university will have flu shots available starting in early October and going through December and are free for students with the Student Health Insurance Plan.
• Flu season starts in the fall and can last through spring.

The University of California, Berkeley will require that students, faculty, and staff who have not received their flu vaccines wear a mask while on campus this fall and winter.

The Daily Californian, UC Berkeley's student newspaper, reported that those who have not received a flu shot by Dec. 1 will be required to wear a mask on campus through the end of flu season, even if COVID-19 restrictions are "loosened."

Right now, masks are strongly recommended indoors and outdoors regardless of vaccination status, University Health Services (UHS) spokesperson Tami Cate told The Californian. Masks are required at all times in the university's health care facilities.

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), influenza, or flu, viruses are most common during the fall and winter, increasing in October and peaking between December and February.

Cate told the Californian that the university would have flu shots available starting in early October and going through December and are free for students with the Student Health Insurance Plan.

As of Tuesday, the UHS website had not been updated with information about flu vaccines for the 2022-2023 school year. Cate did not respond to an email from BestColleges requesting information on the updated flu vaccine policy.

The UHS website does have general flu vaccine information along with information on how students can meet the October 2021 University of California System-wide mandate issued for the 2021-22 academic year.

Students last year who were not vaccinated by the Nov. 19, 2021 deadline were required to wear masks at University of California locations through the end of the influenza season, even if COVID-19 masking requirements were loosened.

This story is developing and will be updated.