US colleges divided over requiring student vaccinations

US colleges hoping for a return to normalcy next fall are weighing how far they should go in urging students to get the COVID-19 vaccine, including whether they should – or legally can – require it.

Universities, including Rutgers, Brown, Cornell and Northeastern, recently told students they must get vaccinated before returning to campuses next fall. They hope to achieve herd immunity on campus, which they said would allow them to loosen spacing restrictions in classrooms and dorms.

Some colleges, however, are leaving the decision to students, and others believe they cannot legally require vaccinations.

At Virginia Tech, officials determined that they could not because the US Food and Drug Administration has only allowed the emergency use of the vaccines and has not given them its full approval.

The question looms large as more colleges plan to shift back from remote to in-person instruction. Many schools have launched vaccination blitzes to get students immunized before they leave for the summer.

At some schools, the added requirement is meant to encourage holdouts and to build confidence that students and faculty will be safe on campus.

“It takes away any ambiguity about whether individuals should be vaccinated,” Kenneth Henderson, the chancellor of Northeastern University in Boston, said. “It also provides a level of confidence for the entire community that we are taking all appropriate measures.”