By Tim Mastro

DOVER — Delaware State University held its first COVID-19 vaccination event on campus Wednesday in its hopes to have all students, faculty and staff members to be fully vaccinated by the fall.

The event Wednesday in Memorial Hall gave doses to an estimated 400 faculty, staff members and students from both Wesley College and Delaware State. The two schools are merging later this year.

The university advertised the clinic during a virtual event with its population on Tuesday and said a second similar clinic will be set up in the future. Student health services officials said anyone who is unable to receive a vaccine on campus before the end of the school year should seek one on their own before the fall.

While Delaware State is not requiring students to receive the vaccine, officials did say at Tuesday’s virtual forum only those who are vaccinated can return for in-person classes in the fall. Anyone who is not vaccinated would stay with online learning.

Similar to Delaware State, the University of Delaware is not mandating its students receive the vaccine, but “strongly encourages all members of the UD community to get the COVID vaccine when it is available to them.”

UD recently asked its population to complete am online survey about their vaccination status.

“This information will help the university more effectively advocate for vaccines in our community and plan appropriate opportunities for vaccinations on and near campus,” the university said.

It encouraged students to sign up for the state’s vaccination waiting list. All Delawareans above the age of 16 can register for the waiting list and can sign up for the vaccine at pharmacies.

A handful of universities throughout the country have announced they will require students to be fully vaccinated.

Rutgers University in New Jersey was the first to mandate the vaccine, saying it will be an “expedited return to pre-pandemic normal,” which can allow the campus to offer more in-person classes. Universities such as Cornell, Brown, Notre Dame, Syracuse and Northeastern soon followed by requiring the vaccine for their students.