Carleton College is Requiring Students, Faculty, and Staff to Get the COVID-19 Vaccine
In a new message from Carleton College's President, Steve Poskanzer, shared Wednesday, April 28th, 2021, says that Carleton College students, faculty, and staff will be required to get the COVID-19 vaccine prior to the start of Fall Term 2021.
President Poskanzer writes that the decisions he has made that he lays out in his latest message, including the decision to require the vaccine, were developed "in conjunction with medical and epidemiological experts." He also says that there is a requirement to get the COVID vaccine because "there is a strong ethical rationale for and public health benefit in requiring such vaccination."
With everyone being required to have the vaccine, that means on-campus activity will mostly return to normal in the fall. The expectation for Fall Term 2021 is that things will be mostly back to the way things were pre-pandemic. That means in-person classes, student activities resuming, and allowing visitors on campus with some restrictions. They also won't be requiring masks on campus starting in fall term "unless state or federal regulations dictate otherwise."
Some people who want to get the vaccine are having a hard time getting one because they can't get an appointment. One resource that I found useful and helped me get my husband and I our vaccines was the website vaccinespotter.org. Hy-Vee is also accepting walk-ins to get the COVID vaccine and for Carleton College students and staff, they're able to get the vaccine on campus. As of Monday, April 26th, 74% of the entire Carleton College campus has received at least one dose of the COVID vaccine.
If you are hesitant about getting the COVID vaccine, I encourage you to keep scrolling and take a look at the answers to 30 common questions about the COVID vaccine.