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Higher Ed Dive
7 in 10 students think colleges can require the coronavirus vaccine: survey
Hallie Busta
Feb. 3, 2021
Dive Brief:
A recent survey highlights questions and concerns college students may
have about the coronavirus vaccine and whether they'll be required to
get it.
College Pulse polled around 1,000 undergraduates at public and private
colleges in January. Seven in 10 students surveyed believe colleges can
require them to get vaccinated.
Colleges are reportedly weighing whether to require students to receive
the shots, but the timing and nature of a mandate would depend on
several factors.
Dive Insight:
Students at private colleges were slightly more likely than their peers at public institutions to believe schools have
"the right to require" students to get vaccinations. Around a third of
respondents were concerned about the vaccines' safety, though that
share was higher among students of color (43%).
The findings highlight a challenge colleges face: Educating their
campus communities about the coronavirus vaccines while ensuring they
continue to follow safety protocols until herd immunity is reached.
What share of people need to be vaccinated to meet that threshold is
uncertain, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention told Higher
Ed Dive last month.
Some states are already making vaccines available to college workers,
but the rollout has been slow and inconsistent across the country.
Higher education groups have pressed for college students to be
vaccinated before the end of the spring term, citing the potential for
them to spread the disease as they leave campus for the summer.
It's not yet clear if and when colleges will require students to get
the vaccines, though officials may wait until the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration has fully approved the shots so they'd be on firmer
legal footing if someone challenges the requirement, one legal expert
said late last year. The two vaccines being distributed have an
"emergency use authorization."
A mandate would also hinge on the availability of the vaccine. Some
estimates suggest the vaccines might be widely accessible by late
spring or early summer. New federal distribution efforts could help.
The Biden administration last month asked federal agencies to come up
with guidance and support for colleges to reopen safely. It also
indicated colleges will play a greater role in vaccine distribution and
education initiatives. So far, some colleges have served as vaccination
sites and several institutional leaders have actively promoted the
vaccines.
Public health experts say colleges should continue testing students and
employees for the virus and maintaining safety protocols such as social
distancing and mask-wearing. They can also encourage people to get the
vaccine and educate them about its knowns and unknowns.
Read this and other stories at Higher Ed Dive
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