Some universities will require students to be vaccinated in the fall
COVID-19 vaccines were offered beginning April 6. // Photo courtesy of Victoria Wetmore.
Nationwide, colleges have started to reveal their plans for the upcoming semester, most on track to reopen completely. In an effort to ensure the safety of their faculty members and students, 14 colleges and universities including Duke, Cornell, Brown, Northeastern and Rutgers, have informed students that they need to have a COVID-19 vaccine to return to campus next fall. Hofstra has yet to announce if they will follow suit.
“I think Hofstra should require students to submit proof of a COVID-19 vaccine to attend in-person classes,” said Brendon Kaas, a sophomore mechanical engineering major. “It would definitely make me feel safer.”
As of Monday, April 19, all 50 states opened vaccination eligibility to everyone ages 16 and up. In an effort to achieve herd immunity, universities are providing easy access to the COVID-19 vaccine. Over 100 universities, including Hofstra, have turned into pop-up vaccination sites to expedite the vaccination process.
“Hofstra offering the vaccine to students was incredibly helpful,” said Taylor Demers, a freshman pre-physicians assistant studies major. “I feel like I wouldn’t have been able to get it so quickly [otherwise].
Requiring up-to-date vaccinations is not new at Hofstra. The University, along with most other institutions, requires proof of at least one vaccination for enrollment. For schools like Duke and Cornell, this is simply adding another vaccine to an already established system.
Other universities with more lenient policies are facing backlash from students as they place holds on registration and on campus living options.
The COVID-19 vaccine falls through the cracks of previous legislation set in place. Since the vaccine has only been authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) under an emergency use authorization (EUA), there will be difficulties in actually enforcing it. The power to enforce student vaccinations comes from the previous plans set in place by a college and must follow federal and state regulatory laws.
“There is no reason that the state could not impose mandatory vaccinations on everybody in the state if they wanted to,” said Eric Lane, professor of law and public service at Hofstra. “However, the federal government has final rulings over university guidelines.”
When it comes to localized discussions, private universities usually have an easier time than public schools when it comes to making controversial decisions. The anti-vaccine movement is one of the several foreseeable groups prepared for legal argumentation.
The court system is familiar with sudden vaccination mandates. In Jacobson v. Massachusetts (1905), the Supreme Court upheld the authority of the state to enforce vaccination laws. The decision asserted that individual liberty is not absolute and is subject to state power. Nonetheless, the federal government will provide accommodations for those who refuse a vaccine for both medical and religious reasons.
There are also concerns regarding the vaccination of international students. Most of those who have remained home for the semester have either struggled to find a vaccination site or have received a shot, such as the AstraZeneca vaccine, that has not yet been approved for use in the United States.
“Both my parents and myself have not received it [the vaccine],” said Alistair Lee, a senior political science major. Located in Hong Kong, Lee’s travel status is currently restricted to Level Three, where citizens should “reconsider” travel. These unclear guidelines have hindered families from moving throughout the country.
“There are still mountains of safety concerns,” Lee said. “Hence, I would still opt for online courses.”
Some schools have begun to offer incentives to students who comply with vaccination mandates. For example, Dickinson State University in North Dakota is exempting students from a campus mask mandate two weeks after they are fully vaccinated.
With the lack of details regarding the coronavirus vaccination, all universities, Hofstra included, are making sure to prepare students with as much information as possible before the end of the semester.
“Given the widespread availability of the COVID-19 vaccines, we expect all members of the Hofstra community to be vaccinated before the fall,” said Karla Schuster, assistant vice president for University Relations. “The University, in consultation with its partners at Northwell Health, will make a determination about requiring the vaccination shortly.”
