As more and more colleges require Covid vaccines for students, the issue of vaccine politics has come to the forefront. Many institutions that demand immunizations have a certain profile - they are often private rather than public, selective, and located in democratic states. Of course, there are exceptions to this pattern, but it is unmistakable.
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/>According to a list maintained by the Chronicle of Higher Education, only 15 of the 181 schools with Covid vaccine requirements are located in states that voted for Trump in 2020.
Of those 15 schools, only one, Cleveland State University in Ohio, is a public university.
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/>Public and private institutions in the same state are also taking different approaches to vaccine requirements.
After Duke and Wake Forest Universities, both selective private institutions in North Carolina, announced that they would require vaccines for all students this fall, the University of North Carolina made a different choice. This is a critical issue as colleges and universities prepare for the fall semester, especially with the Delta variant causing a surge in Covid cases. By mandating vaccines, schools hope to decrease the risk of transmission and guarantee the safety of their students and staff. Nevertheless, some students and faculty members are resisting vaccine mandates, voicing worries about personal freedom and autonomy. Certain states have even passed laws that forbid vaccine requirements for colleges and universities. Nonetheless, in spite of these difficulties, many colleges and universities are continuing with vaccine requirements.
Some are offering exemptions for medical or religious reasons, but others are taking a harder line.
Rutgers University in New Jersey has unequivocally stated that students who fail to comply with the vaccine mandate will be barred from attending classes or engaging in campus activities. This has brought to the forefront the issue of vaccine mandates, which is a highly contentious topic in today's world. Additionally, there are concerns about vaccine equity as students from marginalized communities may face obstacles in accessing vaccines.
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