Colleges Should Require the COVID-19 Vaccine for Returning Students

The end of the spring semester is around the corner, marking the end of a very non-traditional year of learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. COVID has changed the way we work — but should it change the way we learn? When it comes to college education, students and parents are wondering how we return to normal, rather than creating a new normal. Rutgers University thinks it may have the answer: mandatory COVID-19 vaccination.

Since March 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic caused quarantine measures to be implemented across colleges and universities. In many cases, this meant suspension of in-person classes in favor of remote learning, as well as limitations to campus housing and activities. Recreational and extracurricular activities — a major component of the college experience — had to be restricted to reduce COVID transmission. These safeguards were necessary at a time when we had few effective therapies and no vaccines. It’s important to remember that respiratory illnesses, like COVID-19, can spread very quickly in crowded environments.

Indeed, we did see spread in those campuses that remained open. More than 500,000 cases of COVID-19 have been reported on college campuses since the beginning of the pandemic, with about 120,000 cases occurring in just the first few months this year. Over 85 colleges reported having greater than 1,000 cases on campus. The reality is that college campuses, with their many shared facilities, close contact between students, and athletic…