USD mandates COVID-19 vaccination for students on campus next semester
USD takes next step toward a full return of in-person campus activities in the fall
Yana Kouretas / Contributor / The USD Vista
With the end of the semester approaching, USD announced their decision to make getting a COVID-19 vaccination a requirement for those choosing to live in on-campus residence halls or attend in-person classes for the Fall 2021 semester. Although the Student Health Center (SHC) is still working toward attaining a larger vaccination supply for the USD community, the hope is that in the upcoming weeks greater amounts of students will be able to get vaccinated on campus before the semester ends.
All faculty, staff, and administrators have already been extended the option to be vaccinated on campus and this will continue to be an option for them moving forward. Now that this first step is underway, the effort has primarily shifted to the largest unvaccinated population on campus — the students.
With this in mind, the university has recognized that students will have varying access to a vaccination site once back at home for the summer. Those who don’t obtain their doses on campus before the semester ends are urged to seek a vaccination opportunity at home. Likewise, individuals can make appointments elsewhere in San Diego at locations such as county sites or a local pharmacies if an opening presents itself quicker than on campus. In fact, on April 25, USD announced the opening of a county site vaccination center on campus, located at the West Parking Structure, which invites students and employees alike to get their doses here. This spot is not facilitated by the SHC, and therefore appointments have to be made through the county. Even so, this presents a second vaccination setting on campus for university members, increasing the accessibility of vaccinations for students.
Additionally, USD has already begun planning to accommodate students who will return in the fall without the vaccine, and are still looking to get it. USD expects vaccines to still be acquirable through the SHC at that point, and the school intends to focus on supporting international students returning from other countries who may have had very limited, or no access to vaccines.
While the university cannot account for the actions of each student, the school will continue to motivate students to do their part and get vaccinated in the most convenient location for them, as voiced by the director of the SHC, Pamela Sikes.
“We want all students to get vaccinated as soon as possible whether that’s on campus, in San Diego, or their hometown,” Sikes said. “The SHC is planning on having COVID vaccines available at the beginning of the Fall semester for those who have not yet received it.”
Regardless of this requisite, an exemption from the COVID-19 vaccination requirement can be pursued. Individuals on campus have the capacity to fill out a waiver form where they can petition for an exemption to the vaccination requirement. This can only be granted on the condition that they attend weekly COVID-19 testing appointments and quarantine on campus should they be exposed to COVID-19 in some way.
For students who come back to campus fully vaccinated in the fall, whether or not there will be new testing procedures or no required COVID-19 testing at all is something that can not yet be determined by USD. In any case, Sikes and the rest of the administration will stay alert for new information that can be implemented in the fall to ensure a seamless transition back to in-person instruction and activities.
“There will probably be new tests available and new testing recommendations,” Sikes said. “However, without having the ability to foresee the future clearly, I do think that those who are vaccinated may not have as stringent testing requirements as those who are unvaccinated.”
There is no guarantee that this plan will reinstate a sense of normalcy and routine back on campus in the fall. Even so, the USD Vaccination Action Plan calls for student cooperation to help build that added layer of protection for the community in the fall, and to increase the amount of in-person course instruction, research opportunities, and on-campus activities offered.