Dive Brief:
- Many higher education institutions are preparing for or planning to vaccinate their students before the spring term ends, but their approaches differ widely.
- Some states have opened vaccine eligibility to anyone ages 16 or over, and colleges in those regions encourage students to get their shots immediately. Some institutions with limited vaccine eligibility connect students to leftover doses.
- Many colleges plan to return to in-person instruction for the fall, depending on how many students are vaccinated and whether coronavirus case numbers improve.
Dive Insight:
Arizona is one of several states that recently opened vaccine eligibility to all adults. The Washington Post reported that the University of Arizona, which serves as a state-run distribution center for the shots, aims to get its entire student body vaccinated by the end of the spring term. A spokesperson told the publication that the flagship university expects to distribute 4,000 vaccines each day now that students are eligible. Vaccinated students will no longer be subject to mandatory coronavirus testing but will have to wear masks and follow other safety protocols on campus.
Other schools are also waiving specific safety measures for inoculated students. Dickinson State University, in North Dakota, will exempt students from the campus mask mandate if they wear a pin or bracelet signifying they’ve been fully vaccinated; NBC News reported he Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises people vaccinated to continue wearing masks and taking other precautions. t is still unclear whether people who have been vaccinated can transmit the virus to others. The New York Times reported that a new study across 20-plus campuses involving more than 12,000 college students who received the Moderna shot is expected to shed light on the issue.
Even if a large share of students and employees are vaccinated, colleges will have to consider the inoculation levels of their surrounding communities, said Anita Barkin, co-chair of the American College Health Association’s COVID-19 Task Force. f there is low vaccine coverage, colleges will still need to have the campus wear masks, social distancing, and practice good hand hygiene, Barkin said. He University of Michigan is following that guidance. n a FAQ to students and employees about the vaccine, it notes they still armust wear masks and follow other safety protocols until more is learned about the level of protection the shots provide “under real-life conditions.”
Colleges should incentivize students to get their doses by communicating that returning to in-person classes relies on the campus population being vaccinated. Being able to go to campus, live on campus, and have campus activities, … those are all major incentives that I think students will grab onto,” Barkin said. ome schools in states with limited eligibility are helping connect students to leftover vaccines. eloit College, in Wisconsin, directed interested students to join a waitlist for “no waste” vaccines — those that must be quickly used before they expire — offered by a nearby health system.
