With the ongoing pandemic, over 100 colleges across the country are requiring students to receive the COVID-19 vaccine before arriving on campus in the fall, sparking much debate.  More and more universities have implemented this beneficial requirement, including Duke, Cornell and Brown. 

While some have concerns regarding the effectiveness of the vaccine, the Pfizer vaccine is 95% effective and now being tested on kids as young as 6 months, according to Yale Medicine. In fact, the vaccines are so effective that the new CDC guidelines state that vaccinated Americans don’t need to wear masks or social distance in outdoor and most indoor settings. Due to its effectiveness, everyone should be getting the vaccine.

Since colleges already require students to receive other vaccines like ones for measles, mumps and rubella, requiring the vaccine is not any different.

Ever since the vaccine rollout, cases across the country have been steadily decreasing, according to the New York Times, showing the vaccine can prevent mass outbreaks of the coronavirus. If all college students attending classes in-person receive the vaccine, there would be a decreased likelihood of serious outbreaks and therefore would ensure safer campus environments. 

Currently, major outbreaks are still occurring in colleges without the vaccine requirements. For example, Wayne State University in Detroit, one of the worst coronavirus hot spots, was forced to suspend all in-person classes and on-campus activities in April, according to The New York Times. If Wayne State University had access and more vaccines for its students, it is likely the outbreaks would have been prevented.

To combat the pandemic and create safer university campus environments, it is essential for school to require the vaccine in order to end the pandemic faster. If everyone gets vaccinated, then the pandemic will finally end and everything will go back to normal again.