UNM considers requirement for COVID vaccine
Proposal calls for students, staff to be inoculated for fall semester
New Mexico’s flagship university has drafted a policy requiring all students and employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19 before they can return to campus this fall.
If the policy is enacted, the University of New Mexico would join a growing number of colleges and universities across the country that are requiring their campus community be inoculated against COVID.
“While the University has not made a final decision, we have drafted a vaccine requirement policy for our community’s consideration,” UNM President Garnett Stokes said in a written message Monday. “Your review and feedback are encouraged.”
UNM has posted the draft policy on its website, along with a portal to ask questions or submit comments.
“Our top priority continues to be safeguarding the health and well-being of our community, while
… provid(ing) a world-class educational experience and advancing our public research mission,” Stokes said in her message.
Many major public universities have said that they will mandate vaccinations for students and employees.
The University of California and California State University systems have said they will require the vaccine, according to The Associated Press. The University of Colorado at Boulder will also require it for faculty, staff and students, according to the school’s website. Colorado State University also plans to require the vaccine at its Fort Collins and Pueblo campuses, according to the CSU website.
The American College Health Association last week announced it was recommending that all colleges and universities require the vaccine.
The UNM draft policy said enforcement of the requirement could be delayed until the Food and Drug Administration gives regular use approval to at least one of the vaccines. The FDA has currently authorized three COVID vaccines for emergency use.
CNBC reported Tuesday that Pfizer said it plans to file for full U.S. approval of its vaccine with BioNTech at the end of May. Dr. Anthony Fauci of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases told CNN last week that he hopes the COVID-19 vaccines will receive full FDA approval “very soon.”
If the FDA gives that approval, the university believes it has the legal authority to require the vaccine, said Cinnamon Blair, a university spokeswoman.
UNM said on its website that university employees and students should make all efforts to comply with the policy by Aug. 2, or the start of the fall semester.
The requirement would apply to all students and employees who enter UNM office buildings, libraries, classrooms, dormitories, research laboratories, dining facilities, student centers, athletics facilities, gymnasiums, and university buses and shuttles.
Exceptions will be made for people who have applied for and been granted a reasonable accommodation, which can be given due to certain medical conditions or religious beliefs. Those individuals may have to take additional safety measures and be subject to frequent testing.
At New Mexico State University, officials are encouraging everyone to get the vaccine as quickly as they can, said spokesman Justin Bannister.
NMSU “is closely watching the discussion … , but has not yet made a decision to require NMSU students and employees to be vaccinated,” he said.