UVM is requiring vaccines for all students. My daughter attends University of Wisconsin and they just announced that almost 93% of students who will be living on campus are already vaccinated with another 3% saying they will be fully vaccinated by the time classes begin. I am not sure of the off-campus numbers, probably not close to the 93% but I would imagine it’s pretty high.
2 Likes
You’re sure she’s had other vaccines, huh? Fascinating. So you (and the school) know better than her doctor who wrote her the medical exemption from receiving the Covid vaccine?
There are thousands (millions?) of people who cannot get FDA-approved vaccines for medical reasons. Excluding them at this point in the pandemic could be viewed purely as punishment for not taking part.
1 Like
I am not sure what this means? There should be consequences for people who aren’t vaccinated for covid. Schools are implementing many restrictions for unvaccinated students, such as wearing masks, distancing, can’t eat in dining halls, can’t live on campus, must pay for regular covid testing, have a quarantine/isolation plan which is on their dime, etc.
There are licensed docs who are anti-vax and/or in specialities that know nothing about immunology. We are hearing from some students/schools that medical exemption requests are being denied, such as the BYU HI teen with a history of Guillain Barre Syndrome. The reality is that there aren’t many people who can’t get one of the covid vaccines for medical reasons…for many of them, getting covid could very well be worse.
5 Likes
Thank you. Best to your daughter as well!
You are braver than I! (I am probably 30 years older too 
). In general, I don’t hang out with unvaccinated people (but most of my friends and my county/state are, so it’s pretty easy).
I have a few unvaccinated friends that are a couple of hours away. Maaaybe I would meet up outside if we could be distanced. Definitely not sitting at a table together or inside. (That said, I was not far from them last weekend…but didn’t touch base with them.)
2 Likes
There was definitely peer pressure at my D19’s school last year to mask up. The school helped to create the feeling that “The college community is in this together,” and if we all do our part, we won’t have to go completely virtual or send the students home. In my opinion, expecting your fellow students to follow the rules, forgo indoor, unmasked gatherings, etc. is not intolerant. Reminding friends and classmates that our behavior affects the health and college/job experience of others, is not bullying.
Those who are unvaccinated will most likely get infected with Covid at some point, or get it again if they’ve had it. If they are unlucky, they will end up hospitalized and/or with disabling long Covid symptoms. However, they will probably be lucky and be fine, but their viral levels will rise to a contagious level. Their vaccinated roommate spends so much unmasked time breathing the same air that he/she will definitely be exposed. Maybe the roommate is one of the unlucky ones who gets a breakthrough infection, and passes Covid to their parent or professor who has Lupus, MS, Crohn’s disease or cancer. I do not believe it is wrong for people to judge the unvaccinated as potentially harmful to the community.
6 Likes
Lol. I think because I lived at college through the worst of it. I also got Covid (not at college, but when I was home on Christmas break) extremely mild.
I was more concerned for my grandparents and parents. I did lose two older uncles to Covid last year. They had multiple health issues and in were in their late 80’s.
We have people all around us in NY that are unvaccinated. I guess that is more the norm here. I will definitely be much “safer” at college.
Sorry for your losses… 
Important to remember that a minority of people ages 18-24 attend college and so a low vaccination rate among that age group over all doesn’t mean a low vaccination rate at some colleges. It means a low vaccination rate overall. Unless a person that age is in school or the military, very unlikely there are significant pressures to vaccinate.
2 Likes
Thank you. It was so early on in the stage of Covid…when we first shut down. After that we were extremely careful. My mom washed the groceries and wouldn’t go to a store…had everything delivered. Parents worked from home and brother did virtual school. It took everyone a while to feel “normal” again. The best for me was that I went to college and so glad I didn’t take a GAP year and postpone life.
3 Likes
I don’t think it’s a minority. About two-thirds of HS graduates attend college:
https://educationdata.org/high-school-graduates-who-go-to-college
Not all of them finish college, however.
1 Like
NC just announced that grades K-8 and staff will be required to mask up. High School and staff are not required if vaccinated. My D20 school at UNC Charlotte has announced that students must mask in classrooms and on campus transportation vaccinated or not.
Gotcha. Stats I’m looking at say about 41% as of 2019. 30% at 4 year schools.
https://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator/cpb
Either way we shouldn’t look at vaccination in total age pop with no vaccination requirement vs vaccination in this subset which often comes with vaccination requirements.
1 Like
Great. Way to entice people to get vaccinated. Now what will be their incentive???
Completely agree!
Earlier this week, a federal judge upheld Indiana University’s Covid vaccine requirement for the fall semester, dealing another blow to students who disagree with vaccine mandates.
This may help universities in court cases.
The libertarian student is taking a stand and that’s her right. I’m against government mandates too, but this isn’t the government issuing the requirement. She also acknowledges that she’ll get the vaccine and that kids can’t afford another year like last year. Kinda talking out of both sides of her mouth. Also universities wouldn’t need to require vaccines if people would get it voluntarily.
1 Like
She didn’t ask for an exemption. She said she’ll get it if she can’t get her way.
“I know I’m part of a huge movement,” she said. Still, Jones says her education comes first and un-enrolling “is not something I’m willing to sacrifice at this time.”
“I’m waiting until the last possible minute, but I will get vaccinated if I am unsuccessful,” she added. “Of the options available, that’s the one with the least repercussions.”
2/3s of high school graduates attend college but not all 18 year olds graduated high school, 88% do.
So if both sources are accurate out of 100% of 18 year olds 12% didn’t graduate high school and of the remaining 88%, 29% don’t go to college.
So approximately 41% of 18 year olds don’t go to college.
2 Likes
Also many universities are requiring vaccines but I doubt the same is true at many community colleges. I’m not sure the number of college students at each level.
I just checked and community colleges near me in Maryland are not requiring covid vaccinations.
GWU has stated that only 1 percent have been granted exemptions. those unvaccinated have to Quarantine for 10 days.
https://www.gwhatchet.com/2021/07/15/one-percent-of-student-population-received-vaccine-exemption-officials-say/
2 Likes
Also, many who go to college immediately after high school commute to a nearby college (including 2-year community colleges) or trade college, rather than attend a residential 4-year college that is the focus of these forums. Such colleges may not have as much of the superspreader-prone dorm / fraternity / sorority living spaces that residential 4-year colleges may have.
1 Like