More Ohio colleges adding COVID-19 vaccines
After the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced Monday that it granted full approval to the Pfizerbiontech vaccine, a number of Ohio universities have announced they'll be requiring COVID-19 vaccines this school year.
On Thursday, Otterbein University said it will require COVID-19 vaccines for students, staff and faculty members this fall. The private university located in Westerville that students will need to show proof of vaccination in order to enroll in spring semester classes.
Registration for spring semester opens Oct. 25. Students and staff members can apply for medical and religious exemptions to the vaccine, and cases will be individually reviewed.
If a student does not get vaccinated and does not qualify for an exemption, they will be allowed to finish fall semester but will not be able to register for spring semester, according to Otterbein's website. The university does not plan to offer fully online alternatives to its in-person or hybrid courses.
“Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Otterbein has followed the advice of public health officials to make decisions in the best interest of the health and safety of our community,” said Vice President for Student Affairs Dawn Stewart. “This, combined with our current mask mandate, will offer the highest level of protection to our community and allow us to continue to offer in-person classes and activities.”
Otterbein officials said approximately 75% of students and 90% of faculty and staff members are fully vaccinated. The university also currently requires all students, faculty, staff, and visitors to wear masks indoors regardless of vaccination status.
The university plans to hold a vaccination clinic on campus, offering the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine, on Aug. 27.
Capital University students, staff and faculty will also now be required to get a COVID-19 vaccine this semester, the university announced Friday.
The Bexley private university cited the rising number of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations from the delta variant as a main reason for the vaccine mandate.
All current students, faculty and staff members who will be enrolled or employed during spring semester are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 no later than Dec. 17 — the day after fall semester ends.
"We believe vaccination is the safest and most effective way of protecting the health of the campus community," the university said in a press release. "The decision was made with guidance from Franklin County Public Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the University's own COVID Response Team."
"Limited exemptions" to the mandate for medical or religious reasons will be considered on a case-by-case basis, Capital said. Each request will be reviewed and the university will "make a determination quickly and fairly," but exemptions are not guaranteed.
Several other private schools are requiring COVID-19 vaccines for this fall: Kenyon College, the College of Wooster, Mount Saint Joseph University and Ohio Wesleyan University.
Several public universities also announced this week they would also require COVID-19 vaccines.
On Monday, Ohio State President Kristina M. Johnson announced the university is now requiring students, staff and faculty to have at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine by Oct. 15. For people receiving a two-dose vaccine, both doses must be received by Nov. 15. Without proof of vaccination, students would be unable to attend inperson classes or live in university housing during spring semester.
Kent State University in northeastern Ohio said Friday it will begin phasing in a COVID-19 mandate over the course of fall semester.
The requirement currently covers all students who are on Kent State campuses and all non-represented employees. Vaccinations must be completed by Dec. 20.
"We are currently engaged in positive and productive talks with the leadership for our union faculty and staff with the intent to include them as well," the university said. shendrix@dispatch.com @sheridan120