As the summer months draw nearer, excitement and apprehension stir regarding the upcoming college semester. Colleges and universities across the country are adjusting their guidelines for the next school year, some requiring students to be vaccinated in order to attend classes, and many mandating face masks outdoors and indoors.
At Rutgers University, which is located in New Jersey, students must abide by a COVID-19 vaccine mandate with no exceptions.
This mandate has stirred some discontentment from New Jersey State Senator Declan O’Scanlon, who argued that Rutgers should be an exemplar of scientific reasoning – not punishment – and should also “give students the opportunity to make that choice and not be rushed into that choice.”
According to the American College Health Association, only 18% of the 300 schools surveyed require students to be vaccinated, while 61% of all campuses recommend it.
As a result of the reconfiguration of COVID guidelines in accordance with the vaccination status of students and faculty, returning students and their families may be worried about enrollment and their decision to attend the coming semester.
The Hollywood movie studio Lionsgate has imposed a mask mandate at their offices.
Lionsgate emailed their staff requesting that employees mask up and self-screen before coming into the office.
Atlanta-based Morris Brown College requires all faculty, students, and staff to wear masks for at least 14 days. The college also ceased “large student events – including parties – on campus.”
On August 20, 2023, President Joe Biden pushed Americans to get their booster shot for the upcoming fall.
“We will be encouraging all Americans to get those boosters in addition to flu shots and RSV shots,” an official told Fox News.
The Biden administration’s plans to encourage Americans to get another COVID vaccination later this year resulted in vaccine makers’ stock prices getting a boost during Monday’s trading.
Moderna’s stock was up 9.3%, while BioNTech’s share price rose by 6.5% and Novavax by 13% as of Monday afternoon prior to the closing bell. Pfizer’s stock price posted a more modest gain of nearly 1%.
