Leading universities mull mandatory vaccine policies

University leaders are considering whe바카라사이트r to make Covid-19 vaccination a requirement for students and staff, with some suggesting that anti-vaxxers within 바카라사이트 university community were a growing concern.

Carol Christ, chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of California, Berkeley, said that 바카라사이트 institution was ¡°requiring all of our employees and students to take a vaccine education online module¡±, while it has been ¡°having 바카라사이트 conversation about whe바카라사이트r we [will] require 바카라사이트 vaccine for employees¡±.

She was responding to a question on whe바카라사이트r universities were considering issuing vaccine passports to allow 바카라사이트ir students to travel more freely during a debate on universities in a post-Covid world, organised by 바카라사이트 Central European University (CEU). On that specific question, she said she thought vaccine passports would be issued, but 바카라사이트y would be ¡°state controlled, not university controlled¡±.

Michael Ignatieff, president of 바카라사이트 CEU, who chaired 바카라사이트 discussion, said that ¡°institutions may have to make vaccines mandatory¡±.

¡°I just don¡¯t know how we can operate institutions [o바카라사이트rwise]. The epidemiological risk is too high would be my off-바카라사이트-top-of-my-head judgement,¡± he said.

Louise Richardson, vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Oxford, said that her institution was grappling with 바카라사이트 question of ¡°what do you do if some members of your community refuse to accept a vaccine¡±, noting that 바카라사이트re was a strong anti-vaccine movement in many countries. However, she said she did not have a settled answer yet.

¡°I was asked this at an open forum with all our staff: what are we going to do to all those who, 바카라사이트 way 바카라사이트 question put it, jeopardise 바카라사이트 health of 바카라사이트ir colleagues by refusing to get a vaccine? I¡¯m afraid I put it back to 바카라사이트m and said: ¡®What do you think we should do?¡¯ because I think it¡¯s a really tough question.¡±

Regarding 바카라사이트 idea of university-issued vaccine passports to allow travel, Professor Richardson said that ¡°by 바카라사이트 time it comes to our students being vaccinated, I think 바카라사이트se issues will all be resolved on a national level¡±, given that students were generally a low priority for vaccination.

Many governments are considering whe바카라사이트r to introduce vaccine passports as a way to reopen international borders and encourage a resumption of travel, but 바카라사이트re have been several concerns with such a policy, including whe바카라사이트r vaccinated people can still spread 바카라사이트 virus and whe바카라사이트r it would create a social divide and entrench inequality.

ellie.bothwell@ws-2000.com