Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
More Colleges Plan Mandating Covid Vaccines
CNBC: Covid Vaccines Increasingly Mandatory At Colleges This Fall
The number of colleges and universities that will require students be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 is suddenly escalating. In just the last few days, Duke University, Brown, Northeastern University, the University of Notre Dame, Syracuse University and Ithaca College all announced that students returning to campus in the fall must be fully vaccinated before the first day of class. (Dickler, 4/12)
CNBC: Colleges Will Require The Covid Vaccine—These Are The Challenges Ahead
Every year, colleges across the country require students to get vaccinations for diseases such as Measles and Tetanus. Now, one year into the coronavirus pandemic, vaccines against the virus are becoming available for college-age students. On March 25, Rutgers University announced that the school would update its typical vaccine requirements to include the Covid-19 vaccine, becoming one of the first large public universities to mandate the immunization. Some expressed outrage on behalf of students, however, surveys suggest the majority of college students support vaccination. (Johnson Hess, 4/12)
The Washington Post: A Vaccine Study In College Students Will Help Determine When It’s Safe To Take Masks Off
A week before she would have become eligible for a coronavirus vaccine, Madden Brewster agreed to forgo a shot for months to help scientists answer one of the most pressing questions of the pandemic: When can we all stop wearing our masks? Brewster, a 24-year-old graduate student at the University of Colorado at Boulder, is as eager as anyone for the pandemic to end, but delaying her shot may be her most powerful way to contribute. She is one of the first volunteers in a massive study unfolding at 20 colleges. It aims to determine how well the Moderna vaccine prevents inoculated people from becoming unwitting carriers of the virus. (Johnson, 4/12)
NPR: Vaccine Passports? From Colleges To Cruise Ships, Proof Of Vaccinations Required
A political debate has erupted over the idea of requiring proof of COVID-19 vaccination for entry into certain settings. While politicians argue over equity and privacy concerns, some businesses and institutions are moving ahead and developing apps for people to prove their status easily and securely. When students return to Cornell University for the fall semester, for example, they'll be required to be vaccinated with exemptions for medical or religious reasons. "We want to have the most normal semester that we can," says Michael Kotlikoff, the university's provost. And he says the best way to do this "is really to achieve herd immunity that protects everyone" so that activities can resume in dorms, classrooms and around campus. (Aubrey, 4/12)
Bloomberg: Vaccine Requirements Spread In U.S., Sowing Concern On Overreach
Covid-19 vaccination requirements are fast becoming facts of life in the U.S., spreading business by business even as politicians and privacy advocates rail against them. Brown, Notre Dame and Rutgers are among universities warning students and staff they’ll need shots in order to return to campus this fall. Some sports teams are demanding proof of vaccination or a negative test from fans as arenas reopen. Want to see your favorite band play indoors in California? At bigger venues, the same rules apply. A Houston hospital chain recently ordered its 26,000 employees to get vaccinated. (Baker, 4/10)
