Marquette requiring students to get vaccinated for fall semester

[YaBlueIt]

https://today.marquette.edu/2021/06/a-message-from-president-lovell-student-vaccination-requirement/

Thoughts? I'm glad they're taking this step, and we're only going to see more measures like this from universities moving forward. For the sake of everyone's health, and to get back to a sense of normalcy, just get it over with already.

[jficke13]

Good.

Want to make choices that adversely affect society? There are consequences to doing so.

[Galway Eagle]

Good. It'd be extremely unfair to a vaccinated kid to have to quarantine (or god forbid get sick) because their roommate was an anti Vaxxer and got Covid.

[The Sultan]

I said this in the Covid board, but "requiring" vaccinations when you have exemption for philosophical reasons isn't really a requirement.

Colleges and universities are going to have to deal with a group of students that are unvaccinated.  They are going to be treated differently out of necessity, regardless if their exemption is based on personal reasons or medical ones.  That is what schools are going through and planning for right now.

[jficke13]

I said this in the Covid board, but "requiring" vaccinations when you have exemption for philosophical reasons isn't really a requirement.

Colleges and universities are going to have to deal with a group of students that are unvaccinated.  They are going to be treated differently out of necessity, regardless if their exemption is based on personal reasons or medical ones.  That is what schools are going through and planning for right now.

I'm fine with philosophical exemptions... assuming you add the following caveat: if you take off your N95 mask for anything other than eating, drinking, or hygiene, even in your dorm room, you're summarily expelled with no appeal process until you submit proof of a completed course of vaccination.

[YaBlueIt]

Good. It'd be extremely unfair to a vaccinated kid to have to quarantine (or god forbid get sick) because their roommate was an anti Vaxxer and got Covid.

Agreed. Or a classmate or faculty for that matter. Nobody should have to risk their health to attend college classes in-person. Obviously, when the University couldn't guarantee anyone's safety, additional measures had to be taken. Now they're taking the only step they can to be able to make that guarantee.

[YaBlueIt]

I said this in the Covid board, but "requiring" vaccinations when you have exemption for philosophical reasons isn't really a requirement.

Colleges and universities are going to have to deal with a group of students that are unvaccinated.  They are going to be treated differently out of necessity, regardless if their exemption is based on personal reasons or medical ones.  That is what schools are going through and planning for right now.

I hear you, and this will continue to be something we deal with in greater society, people either refusing to get vaccinated or lying about it. But taking this stance, enforceable or otherwise, at least sets the expectation. This probably won't realistically lead to 100% of students vaccinated. But could it help bump the numbers up from 70% to 90%? Potentially, and maybe that's good enough for now.

[The Sultan]

I'm fine with philosophical exemptions... assuming you add the following caveat: if you take off your N95 mask for anything other than eating, drinking, or hygiene, even in your dorm room, you're summarily expelled with no appeal process until you submit proof of a completed course of vaccination.

Yeah, that's not what they're going to do.  Schools are probably going to be dealing with 20-25% of their students being unvaccinated for whatever reason.  Keeping its population relatively healthy, and not kicking out a quarter of its paying customers, is a balancing act.

[BrewCity83]

I'm fine with philosophical exemptions... assuming you add the following caveat: if you take off your N95 mask for anything other than eating, drinking, or hygiene, even in your dorm room, you're summarily expelled with no appeal process until you submit proof of a completed course of vaccination.

Really dude?

[jficke13]

Yeah, that's not what they're going to do.  Schools are probably going to be dealing with 20-25% of their students being unvaccinated for whatever reason.  Keeping its population relatively healthy, and not kicking out a quarter of its paying customers, is a balancing act.

Oh I know they won't do that, but they should. Antivaxxers should be ostracized from civil society root and branch. They won't, but they should.

People didn't get a choice about the smallpox vaccine, they shouldn't get a choice about this one.

[jficke13]

Really dude?

Really. Decisions have consequences. You want to be a reckless idiot who endangers lives for no reason other than your own selfishness, by all means. Here's the price.

[Billy Hoyle]

https://today.marquette.edu/2021/06/a-message-from-president-lovell-student-vaccination-requirement/

Thoughts? I'm glad they're taking this step, and we're only going to see more measures like this from universities moving forward. For the sake of everyone's health, and to get back to a sense of normalcy, just get it over with already.

Most colleges are doing this. They already require proof of vaccination for MMR, why should COVID be any different?

[jficke13]

Truthfully, I wouldn't provide any philosophical exemption. There's probably a school for selfish idiots (here's lookin' at you Liberty) where one's disdain for their fellow human is welcome. But, given that we're being accommodating to fools, requiring an oppressive mask mandate would both incentivize people to get their vaccines and mitigate the risk of their presence. Balancing.

edited to make it more clear that I am addressing hypothetical antivax students, not the posters in this thread.

[The Sultan]

Marquette, and most other schools, aren't in a position to simply let a quarter of their customers leave. 

[lawdog77]

Marquette, and most other schools, aren't in a position to simply let a quarter of their customers leave.

This. But in a perfect world, I would like to see these unvaccinated students have to explain their position via Socratic method in front of a panel of doctors, lawyers, scoopers, etc.

[The Sultan]

This. But in a perfect world, I would like to see these unvaccinated students have to explain their position via Socratic method in front of a panel of doctors, lawyers, scoopers, etc.

I get that.  But we are dealing with similar decisions on campus now.  And here are the two options - both of which are going to leave us with a significant (how significant we don't know) number of students who are unvaccinated.

1. Do not require vaccination.  Those who are vaccinated are asked up upload a copy of their vaccination card.

2. Require vaccination, but allow for the same exemptions that Marquette does.  (Which is our current policy for all vaccinations.)

#2 is a more positive PR message, but it is also a lot more work that MAY not lead to much benefit.  Either way, we have to make it clear how much less "normal" on-campus life will be for those who don't have the vaccine.

[warriorchick]

I have a feeling that there are more than a few students who are fine with getting vaccinated even though their parents aren't, and if they are over 18, there is nothing the parents can do about it.  There are going to be some interesting conversations this summer.

Kid:  I don't care what you think!  I'm getting vaccinated!

Parent:  Enjoy your infertility and blood clots!

[lawdog77]

I have a feeling that there are more than a few students who are fine with getting vaccinated even though their parents aren't, and if they are over 18, there is nothing the parents can do about it.  There are going to be some interesting conversations this summer.

Kid:  I don't care what you think!  I'm getting vaccinated!

Parent:  Enjoy your infertility and blood clots!

Many teenagers would LOVE that.

[warriorchick]

Many teenagers would LOVE that.

Permanently?

[The Lens]

Permanently?

Has a teenager ever gotten a tattoo?

[The Sultan]

Truthfully, I wouldn't provide any philosophical exemption.

By the way, Wisconsin state law requires that Marquette offer a waiver of a vaccine requirement for religious, health and "personal conviction" purposes.

[muwarrior69]

I believe it should be up to the student and if they have a good medical reason for not being vaccinated they should provide that information and be exempted. A few examples would be: 1. already were infected with COVID/19 and recovered and 2. recovered from guillain-barré syndrome or any other auto-immune condition.

Perhaps young men should opt for the J&J vaccine:
https://news.yahoo.com/cdc-heart-inflammation-cases-ages-140826238.html

[Hards Alumni]

I believe it should be up to the student and if they have a good medical reason for not being vaccinated they should provide that information and be exempted. A few examples would be: 1. already were infected with COVID/19 and recovered and 2. recovered from guillain-barré syndrome or any other auto-immune condition.

Perhaps young men should opt for the J&J vaccine:
https://news.yahoo.com/cdc-heart-inflammation-cases-ages-140826238.html

People already infected with Covid do not maintain antibodies long enough to protect them from reinfection after around 6 months.

[muwarrior69]

People already infected with Covid do not maintain antibodies long enough to protect them from reinfection after around 6 months.

This report suggests otherwise and reported reinfection rates are rare. What is important to know do the b and t cells of Covid recovered individuals trigger a protective immune response.

https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/lasting-immunity-found-after-recovery-covid-19

[The Sultan]

I believe it should be up to the student and if they have a good medical reason for not being vaccinated they should provide that information and be exempted.

This is already the case.  Medical, religious and personal conviction are the three categories allowed.

1. already were infected with COVID/19 and recovered

While that may end up being the case down the road, current guidance encourages getting the vaccine.

So they should do that.