Rutgers is one of the first schools to require this as an official policy, but others will follow.
CNBC reports:
Rutgers University to require Covid vaccine for students returning to campus in the fallRutgers University will require students returning to campus this fall to prove they’ve been vaccinated against Covid-19, becoming one of the first institutions in the U.S. to mandate the immunizations.Rutgers President Jonathan Holloway announced the change Thursday, saying in a statement the university plans to update its immunization requirements for students on campus to include the Covid-19 vaccine.Students will have to prove they’ve been fully vaccinated with any of the three shots currently cleared for use in the U.S. — Pfizer’s, Moderna’s or Johnson & Johnson’s — though students who are under 18 years old will only be eligible for the Pfizer shot. Pfizer’s is the only vaccine authorized by the FDA for use in people as young as 16.Students who are fully enrolled in online courses without access to on-campus facilities will be exempt from getting vaccinated, according to the statement, as well as those with medical or religious reasons that prohibit immunization.Many universities across the U.S., following varied reopening plans, have struggled to return students to their campuses during the pandemic. Some institutions have been forced to crack down on off-campus gatherings and events that have caused outbreaks in the surrounding community.“From the onset of the pandemic, the safety of the broader Rutgers community has been our shared responsibility. This has never been more true,” Holloway said in the statement. “The importance of an effective vaccination program to make our community safer for all cannot be overstated.”
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