Opinion: Mandating COVID Vaccines in Colleges (Preview)

Disclaimer: This is an opinion editorial, giving a unique perspective on an ongoing issue.

Vaccination Record Card. Credit: Getty Images

The FDA has recently approved the Pfizer COVID vaccine for use in the United States. Since then, there has been an increase in vaccine mandates, in universities, employers, and schools. These mandates have been both supported and rejected by the general public. The Pfizer vaccine was originally under emergency use authorization by FDA since 2020.

As the delta variant of COVID-19 begins to increase in the U.S., more colleges and universities have made the decision to mandate their students, staff, and faculty to be fully vaccinated before coming back to their perspective campuses. Schools like Michigan State and the University of Michigan have already implemented mandates before the start of the fall semester.

In July, MSU's president Samuel Stanley released a statement to students, staff, and faculty that they must be fully vaccinated (or half vaccinated) before coming to campus on August 31. Stanley states that this was done to protect the campus community. With the return of about 9,000 students, the campus community could become a hotspot for the new delta variant. While some people might think it's a good step towards normalcy, others think it's an ultimatum.

In other schools across the country, students are petitioning for their schools to mandate the covid vaccine for health reasons. Central Michigan University students created a petition to create a mandate. Students have cited that as of August 2, only 34% reported being vaccinated. “I do feel as if there should be an extent to where vaccines should be required just for health reasons,” said Me'leia Mansker, CMU senior.

Credit: Getty Images

There is a lot of vaccine hesitancy among the population. People are hesitant to get the vaccine because of the many concerns drawn by social media. The media has been flooded with misinformation as it relates to what's in the vaccine to personal health. Notable misinformation included the implementation of microchips in the vaccines. Misinformation has led to what officials call an "infodemic." This vaccine hesitancy has led to people making some tough decisions.

This is a draft that is still being worked on.