Lehigh Valley colleges weigh shot mandates
Pa. officials urge inoculations before summer break
Officials at Lehigh University in Bethlehem haven’t decided yet whether students will be required to receive the COVID19 vaccine before returning to campus in the fall.
However, “we have shared with students and families that we are considering adding it to our list of required vaccinations,” Amy White, the university’s associate director of media relations, said in an email Tuesday.
As the pandemic continues but vaccines become more widely available, colleges around the region are grappling with the same question: Should students be required to get the shot?
For now, college spokespersons said that while there is no mandate in place, schools are “highly encouraging” students to get the vaccine, and as the pandemic continues, their position could change.
On Wednesday, state health and education officials urged college students to get the
vaccine before the semester ends. As of Tuesday, anyone 16 and older can receive the vaccine, and students don’t have to be a Pennsylvania resident to get the shot here.
“As students are now eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine, we encourage them to find a provider and get vaccinated before they travel back home at the end of the semester,” acting Secretary of Health Alison Beam said in a news release. “We look forward to higher education institutions connecting with our provider network or the Federal Retail Pharmacy Partners to coordinate vaccination opportunities for their students.”
An informal Twitter poll conducted by The Morning Call this week found that many think college students should be required to get the vaccine. Of the just over 400 people who responded, 64.6% said students should get inoculated before returning to campus this fall, while 30.2% said it shouldn’t be required and 5.1% were unsure.
In New Jersey, Rutgers University officials announced late last month that they will require the vaccine for the fall semester, although students may request an exemption for medical or religious reasons, as required by federal law.
“Adding COVID-19 vaccination to our student immunization requirements will help provide a safer and more robust college experience for our students,” university President Jonathan Holloway said in a news release announcing the mandate.
Rutgers has campuses in New Brunswick, Newark and Camden, with more than 71,000 students.
And Rutgers isn’t alone. Brown, Cornell and Northeastern all require vaccination to return to campus in the fall.
But a mandate could cause legal concerns for schools, and enforcing it could be tough. There is no uniform vaccine credential system in place, vaccination cards given out by health care providers seem easy to forge, and self-reporting would rely on honesty from students with an incentive to lie.
Although Lehigh officials are still weighing their options for a mandate in the fall, students participating in some optional summer enrichment programs will be required to get the vaccine, White said. However, students can request accommodations or an exception.
Officials at Lafayette College in Easton said the school is encouraging students to get the vaccine as it becomes available.
“We require some vaccines, such as meningitis and the [measles, mumps and rubella] booster, but the COVID-19 vaccine is not on the required list for fall at this time,” said Annette Diorio, the college’s vice president for campus life.
Heather Lavin, media relations and social media manager at Cedar Crest College in Allentown, said no mandate was in place, but the college is “regularly reviewing the protocol” and “highly encouraging” students to get the vaccine.
It’s a similar situation at Northampton Community College: no mandate so far.
“The college will reinforce messaging as to why getting the vaccine, based on what we know about vaccines for other diseases, may help keep those who receive it from getting seriously ill, even if they do contract COVID-19,” said Katherine Noll, the college’s associate director of communications.
Penn State has delivered a similar message.
“For now, we are strongly encouraging everyone in our community to get vaccinated as soon as they are eligible and a dose is available,” according to the university’s website. “We are continuing to monitor developments and vaccine availability carefully and may alter our approach.”