BU to require vaccine before fall return
Boston University is the latest college to issue the coronavirus order.
Boston University is the latest college to require all students enrolled in oncampus classes to be vaccinated against the coronavirus before the start of fall classes, President Robert Brown told students in a letter on Friday.
“Our goal is to move to a ‘new normal’ in the fall that includes only minimal social distancing, where all our facilities are open, students can move freely between residences, and guests are welcome,” Brown wrote to students.
Boston University joins Northeastern in requiring students to get the shot, as previously reported in the Herald. Northeastern was the first college in Boston to announce a vaccine requirement.
Brown said the university “will make every effort” to vaccinate students if they arrive on campus without having been vaccinated in the fall, and a process for accommodating medical or religious exemptions will be available.
Students will be required to upload vaccine documentation as soon as possible.
Classrooms, labs, dining halls and recreation facilities are expected to be filled with vaccinated students, Brown said, and mask-wearing in some settings may still be required.
“Creating a safe living and learning environment for Boston University has to be the goal of our entire community. Each of us has the responsibility for doing our share. Please get vaccinated as soon as possible,” wrote Brown.
Boston University has a student population of about 34,000 and about 10,000 employees.
Davidson Hamer, Boston University infectious diseases specialist, said, “I think it’s a good move and an important move and I personally feel it should be extended to faculty and staff.”
Hamer said, “We need very high levels of coverage on university and college campuses by the end of the summer in order to have campuses be a bubble within the community that’s safe.”
Other Boston-area schools have not yet committed to a vaccine mandate. Boston College has said it was “considering the possibility” and MIT said institute leaders are “strongly encouraging vaccination.” Many other area schools have said they are looking into the issue and considering vaccination regulations for students.
Young people have recently been large drivers of coronavirus spread in Massachusetts. In the last two weeks, the case rate per 100,000 has been the highest in patients age 20-29 with a rate of 701. The second highest age group is 15-19 years old with a case rate of 656 per 100,000.
The state’s seven-day weighted average test positivity rate including only high education institutions is a mere .3%. The rate among all tests across the state is around 2.3.%.