An examination of COVID-19 vaccination exemptions

Clarification and exploration on vaccine exemptions

Colin Mullaney / Assistant News Editor / The USD Vista

As student life returns to campus, upperclassmen are fondly remembering the days before COVID-19 meant anything at all, while both freshmen and sophomores are experiencing the wonders of typical college life for the first time. One location on campus, however, serves as a lingering reminder of the impact of the coronavirus, as well as the unpleasant truth that this pandemic is not yet over. Like a scene straight out of 2020, an assortment of unvaccinated students and staff filter in and out of the Tecolote Patio, adjacent to the Hahn Center, to report for mandatory COVID-19 surveillance testing. Sitting outside in chairs six feet apart, they are required to spit through tiny paper straws into a plastic tube until their sample is deemed sufficient for analysis by testing coordinators.

The first question that comes to the minds of vaccinated students is likely: “why?” Why endure the somewhat embarrassing and inconvenient weekly testing, future bouts of illness and isolation, and potential judgement or alienation by vaccinated peers, when COVID vaccines are now readily available to all?

As of August 30, 88% of students reported being fully vaccinated with even more being partially vaccinated, according to the University Covid Action Team. The remaining 12% of students who are unvaccinated (or have not yet reported) are required to undergo weekly testing, at risk of “interim suspension,” meaning the student would potentially be restricted from the university’s campus and residence halls for noncompliance. These unvaccinated students were required to submit either medical or religious exemption forms, in lieu of proof of vaccination, which was approved at the discretion of the Student Health Center. Furthermore, they were required to submit proof of a negative Covid test within three days prior to moving on campus.

Due to the individual and private nature of seeking such an exemption, practically everyone who submitted an exemption form was granted one in good faith, without heavy scrutiny or the burden of additional proof. The only requirement to qualify for a religious exemption, for instance, was a tick mark and a signature on the prescribed form. Some vaccinated students feel as though the university is literally and figuratively just checking boxes in its mission to vaccinate the student body. 

USD sophomore, Russell Gokemeijer, shared his perceptions of the vaccine exemption process, stating,  “I think the school made it super easy for people not to be vaccinated and it’s a little misleading that they say they will require vaccinations, when it’s so easy to get exempted.”

To the majority of students who received their vaccinations, it seems unfair that their peers are not being required to “pull their weight” and remain unphased by the implications that their actions might have for others. 

“A lot of people think that [getting vaccinated is] a decision that only impacts themselves, but it’s hard to know who you might be affecting, both in your immediate environment and beyond,” Gokemeijer said.

Regardless of one’s personal stance on the vaccine debate, one thing is apparent: the unvaccinated clearly stand firm in their convictions, given their willingness to tolerate these additional requirements placed upon them. All students asked to comment on their rationale behind receiving an exemption from the vaccine requirement declined to comment.

Despite widespread access to vaccinations that ameliorate the risk of a potential  outbreak among students, it is easy to see why COVID-19 still weighs heavy in the minds of many. 

Upperclassmen still recall the abrupt transition to online classes in March 2020 and will likely struggle to move beyond this destabilizing experience mentally and emotionally: to regain trust in the promise of normality. Although sophomores had the opportunity to spend last year on campus if they chose, many report a pervasive imposter syndrome because of COVID-19, since they are now expected to jump straight into this upcoming academic year as seasoned experts, without ever having attended in-person classes. Needless to say, COVID-19 has and will continue to have a lasting impact on student life in the coming semester, vaccinated or unvaccinated.