University Reverses COVID-19 Vaccine Policy, Mandating FDA-Approved Vaccines

In a surprising turn, the University has altered its stance on COVID-19 vaccination policies, announcing that only vaccines approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will be accepted for the upcoming fall semester. This shift comes after the institution previously stated that it would accept vaccines certified by the World Health Organization (WHO), including Oxford/AstraZeneca, Sinopharm, Sinovax, Covishield, and Novavax. The administration now cites concerns about the effectiveness of these non-FDA-approved vaccines against the delta variant. Students who have received WHO-approved vaccines will be required to undergo re-vaccination with FDA-approved vaccines, prompting concerns among international students about increased stress and potential discrimination.

Key Takeaways:

• The University will only accept COVID-19 vaccines approved by the FDA, which currently includes Moderna, Pfizer-BioNTech, and Johnson & Johnson/Janssen vaccines.
• Students who have received non-FDA-approved vaccines are required to get re-vaccinated with those approved by the FDA.
• Those requiring re-vaccination will be subject to the same health restrictions as unvaccinated individuals, including twice-weekly testing and masking requirements.
• International student Nainika Pansari expressed concern about the implications of the new policy for international students, emphasizing that WHO-approved vaccines are effective against the delta variant.
• Molecular Microbiology and Immunology Professor Dr. Diane E. Griffin believes the University's new policy is sensible, citing the need to keep up with relevant protection data and recommendations for US-approved vaccines.
• The University plans to expand mandatory asymptomatic testing to aid in the detection of early COVID-19 outbreaks.
• Currently, the University requires all vaccinated residential students to be tested once a week, while unvaccinated students, faculty, and staff on Homewood campus must be tested twice a week, and non-residential students are not required to participate in asymptomatic COVID-19 testing.

Statistics:

• The University will only accept FDA-approved vaccines, including Moderna, Pfizer-BioNTech, and Johnson & Johnson/Janssen vaccines.
• Currently, WHO-approved vaccines include Oxford/AstraZeneca, Sinopharm, Sinovax, Covishield, and Novavax.
• Approximately 2-3 times more students will be required to get re-vaccinated with FDA-approved vaccines.

Sources:

• The News-Letter
• Email from Andrew Green, Vice President for Communications
• Email from Nainika Pansari, junior and international student
• Email from Dr. Diane E. Griffin, Molecular Microbiology and Immunology Professor
• University leaders' email
• Laura Wadsten's contribution to the article
• New England Journal of Medicine study on AstraZeneca and Pfizer vaccine effectiveness