After a year of disruption due to the Covid-19 pandemic, U.S. colleges and universities are ready to enter a period of “new normal.”
Data from The Chronicle of Higher Education indicates that more than 360 public and private colleges across the United States will require students to be vaccinated against Covid-19. In addition to private colleges announcing vaccination practices, several major university systems are also mandating vaccinations, such as the State University of New York system. The 23-campus California State University system also plans to implement mandates pending full approval of at least one Covid-19 vaccine by the Food and Drug Administration.
When the pandemic spread across the U.S. in the spring of 2020, universities closed classrooms and dormitories en masse, and teaching models quickly shifted to online. Online learning continued for some universities in the fall for various reasons. Students returned to campus with restrictions in dorms, classrooms, and common areas; some Plexiglas barriers were installed, and masks and other personal protective equipment were distributed.
Chris Marsicano, an education professor and founding director of the College Crisis Initiative at Davidson College in North Carolina, said: “Colleges really want to get back to normal operations as soon as possible.”
Now, the effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccine gives both students and schools hope for returning to normal learning and teaching models, with in-person lectures, study groups in libraries, social gatherings, and attending sporting events on campus.
Dr. Preeti Malani, a professor and chief health officer at the University of Michigan – Ann Arbor, said: “If you can ensure a well-vaccinated community, you can safely return to that normal life.” Malani added that vaccines offer protection beyond the individual level, helping to keep the entire community safe. With the data and millions of Americans already vaccinated, she described the currently available COVID-19 vaccines as “safe and effective” and encouraged students to consider others when deciding to get vaccinated.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, complications and deaths after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine are very rare in the U.S., where over 259 million doses of the Covid-19 vaccine were administered between December 14, 2020, and May 10, 2021.
Like much of American higher education, how colleges approach the Covid-19 vaccine issue varies. Colleges generally fall into four categories:
According to Marsicano, most colleges fall into the latter category.
However, the picture will become clearer as the fall semester approaches, especially if the vaccine receives full FDA approval, Marsicano said. Experts predict that Pfizer and BioNTech recently applied for full approval of their COVID-19 vaccine, and others will soon follow.
“Once these vaccines receive full FDA approval, colleges and universities won’t have any legal issues requiring that vaccine for their students, at least in principle, at the federal level,” Marsicano said.
COVID-19 vaccines are currently authorized for emergency use, a status that some experts say creates a legal gray area for mandating vaccines. But with full FDA approval, vaccination requirements will be equivalent depending on the course as colleges have required students to provide proof of various immunizations.
Sheldon H. Jacobson, a computer science professor specializing in public health data at the University of Illinois—Urbana-Champaign, added that existing vaccination requirements against mumps, measles, and other infectious diseases have ultimately set a legal precedent for the COVID-19 vaccines to be similarly fully approved.
However, announcing vaccine regulations has led to political backlash as some states oppose such measures. Some lawmakers are skeptical of the vaccine’s effectiveness because it was developed too quickly. Moreover, others see these mandates as undermining personal freedom. For example, in Florida, a new law prohibits colleges from requiring the COVID-19 vaccine as a condition for enrollment. That legal hurdle has caused some schools to backtrack on previously announced vaccination plans.
Additionally, some colleges are adopting medical or religious exemptions for unvaccinated students. Fully online students may also be exempt from vaccine requirements at some colleges.
Colleges are using both a carrot-and-stick approach to ensure students are vaccinated before arriving on campus. Policies may restrict students’ opportunities to register for classes without proof of vaccination.
Malani said that the number of young people in the U.S. getting vaccinated is very low, so incentives are crucial.
Some colleges are looking to encourage students, making efforts to persuade students to get vaccinated with programs offering gift cards, T-shirts, and other free giveaways. One college, Rowan University in New Jersey, not only requires all students to be vaccinated but also offers monetary incentives: up to $1,000 credit toward tuition and housing. With the strong motivation to return to normal college life, some colleges, such as the entire Georgia University System of 26 colleges, have announced that wearing masks will be optional for students and staff fully vaccinated in fall 2021, bringing some hope for a return to pre-pandemic activities.
“Students will benefit from getting vaccinated even if they themselves may not be at risk of complications,” Jacobson said, noting that COVID-19 tends to be less deadly and severe for young people. “It facilitates campuses opening in a way that benefits their education and social interactions. And that has value.”
Marsicano said offering free college supplies, event tickets, or even money makes financial sense for some universities if it increases student vaccination rates. COVID-19 mitigation efforts have proven costly, and a return to full dormitories and dining facilities means university bank accounts will have to spend a significant amount.
“Colleges are financially incentivized to try and get students vaccinated,” Marsicano said, explaining that, in the long run, offering something of value will be cheaper than testing students weekly for the COVID-19 virus.
Experts expect peer influence to play a role in increasing vaccination rates among students, especially reducing restrictions on events and activities if attendees are vaccinated. This should then create a convenience factor for vaccinated students, who will be exempt from weekly testing, while unvaccinated students will still need to comply.
Malani also said that parents should consider the risks and safety issues students face in college. “When you send your child to college, there are a lot of risks you have to think about. And COVID-19 is one of them,” Malani said, adding that parents could minimize COVID-19 risks by getting their children vaccinated.
With many universities adopting a wait-and-see approach to vaccination mandates, this could make it difficult for students to return to school in the future. In addition to checking with private colleges about their respective policies, students can find a list of universities requiring vaccination through The Chronicle of Higher Education.
Experts say that after being vaccinated, students will need to submit proof of vaccination through university websites. With the current vaccine supply in the U.S., college students can now easily get vaccinated. Additionally, some colleges are self-distributing vaccines, meaning there will be internal records.
For students who have previously contracted COVID-19, Malani noted that “it is still unclear whether previously infected people are immune.” “With ongoing studies, that may change,” she said.
“From a practical standpoint, it will be easier logistically to vaccinate someone,” Malani added.
While the U.S. has widely distributed three vaccines, similar shots developed by different pharmaceutical manufacturers are being offered in other countries. International students with limited access to vaccines or questions about which vaccination is encouraged should contact their school’s offices directly for more information and familiarize themselves with CDC guidelines, experts say.
Malani encourages students to think about vaccines through the lens of overall community safety. “For public health, what an individual does affects those around them,” Malani said. “To keep the whole community safe, we all need to act together and make the right health decisions. A highly vaccinated community ensures that those who are vulnerable or unresponsive to the vaccine are also well protected.”
