Multi-ethnic group of students wearing protective face masks while sitting in a lecture hall sitting ... [+]
Brown University and Northeastern University now join a handful of universities and colleges that require students to be fully vaccinated before returning to campuses this fall.
After Rutgers became the first university to mandate Covid-19 vaccination less than 2 weeks ago, at least 8 colleges and universities now require Covid -19 vaccination before returning to school in the fall.
Cornell University, Rutgers University, Fort Lewis College, Nova Southeastern University, St. Edwards University and Roger Williams University round out the growing list of schools that Brown and Northeastern now join.
The decision to vaccinate all returning students this fall comes as data demonstrates that college students contribute significantly to transmission of Covid-19. Based on data from The New York Times, more than 120,000 cases of Covid-19 have been linked to American colleges and universities since January 1, and more than 530,000 cases since the pandemic began.
“I think it’s reasonable for colleges to require Covid-19 vaccination but I think, operationally, will be easier once full FDA approval is granted (as opposed to just emergency use),” said Amesh Adalja, MD, and infectious disease physician, and Senior Scholar, Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security.
Brown University President Christina Paxson, in a letter to the university, said vaccines would be mandatory “for all undergraduate, graduate, and medical students who will be on campus or engage in any level of in-person instruction.”
However, the university will allow medical and religious exemptions as well as reasonable accommodations that are lawful. Paxson stated that any unvaccinated student who does not qualify for an exemption will not be permitted on campus, but could still apply to study virtually or decide to take a leave of absence. She also has not yet made a decision whether vaccination will be mandatory for staff at the university.
“The group will provide me with a recommendation by June 1, and policies and protocols will be based on the best scientific evidence," she said. "Similar to the policy for students, if Brown decides to make the vaccine mandatory for employees, medical and religious exemptions will be granted and reasonable accommodations will be provided under applicable law."
Meanwhile, some universities instead of mandating Covid-19 vaccination have decided to incentivize students to get vaccinated. Case in point: students at Dickinson State University who show proof of complete vaccination will be exempt from the current campus-wide mask mandate. While the risk of transmission is low, it’s not zero— making such a policy problematic at best, especially at large universities with students from many diverse geographic locations.
Dr. Eric Feigl-Ding, an epidemiologist, Health Economist and Adjunct Senior Fellow at The Federation of American Scientists based in Washington, D.C, is a strong supporter of the vaccination requirement for colleges and universities. “My worry is how lax they may be with religious exemptions,” added Feigl-Ding, also a co-founder of COVID Action Group, a multidisciplinary network of experts advising policymakers, communities, and organizations regarding practical strategies to eliminate Covid-19.
As college students return to campus this fall, Covid-19 vaccination will make college campuses safer and reduce the risk of transmission on campus. Any intervention we can offer to reach herd immunity sooner will be helpful, as the potential for a fourth surge due to quickly spreading variants is now upon us.
