Mandated COVID vaccine? Conn. universities take different approaches

STAMFORD — Matriculating at public schools or universities means getting up to date on your immunizations, from measles to mumps to meningococcal.

But could the COVID-19 vaccine be next on the back-to-school list? At Wesleyan University, the answer is yes.

The private university in Middletown announced Tuesday that students must be vaccinated against the coronavirus before the start of the fall semester.

“With all students fully vaccinated before Arrival Day in the fall, our campus community will be closer to achieving muchdesired herd immunity. This will also improve our chances of enjoying a more ‘normal’ semester,” said a letter to students from dean of students Rick Culliton and medical director Tom McLarney.

Spokespeople from the University of Connecticut and Yale University, however, said neither educational institution will make the vaccine a requirement for students.

Meanwhile, both Western Connecticut State University in Danbury and Sacred Heart University in Fairfield are undecided on whether to mandate the vaccine. Spokespeople from each said they would make a final determination based on input from the state Department of Public Health.

UConn spokesperson Stephanie Reitz said that’s not expected to change in the near future at the state’s largest college, with multiple campuses in Connecticut.

“Like many other colleges and universities, UConn does not require people to receive vaccines of any type that are unlicensed, including those developed for COVID-19,” she said. Vaccines against COVID-19 are approved only for emergency purposes by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and are not yet fully licensed.

Reitz, who responded in an emailed statement, said, “Any changes would only occur in close collaboration with the state Department of Health and local health districts.”

Karen Peart, director of media relations for Yale, said the COVID vaccine will not be mandated for this fall, but the private university is encouraging students to get it.

“Yale has capacity to vaccinate our community, but we are limited by the supply we receive,” she said, in an emailed statement. “We have let our students know that when they become eligible, they should sign up to receive a vaccine at Yale and at state entities. There has been no decision yet about mandating vaccines for next term.”

More and more universities and colleges across the country have announced they will require students to be vaccinated with one of the COVID-19 vaccines before the beginning of the fall semester.