Two Minnesota colleges have joined a handful of schools across the country who will require students to receive a COVID-19 booster shot in order to attend spring semester classes.
“News about the new Omicron variant of the COVID-19 virus is undoubtedly on all of our minds, particularly as we spend more time indoors and in close proximity with loved ones over the winter break. While we don’t yet know how this new variant might impact our community, we are paying close attention to its development and will be ready to adjust plans on campus if needed,” Carleton College said on its website.
Citing its “goal to minimize infection, and to limit transmission and spread of the virus on campus,” the school said all students will be required to take a booster shot by January 21. It encouraged them to take the shot sooner, if possible.
“Proof of your booster dose—including a photo of your vaccination card—is now required to be submitted to Carleton,” the school said. “All students, faculty and staff must complete the new designated reporting forms no later than Friday, Jan. 21, 2022.”
COVID-19 can be contracted and spread by those who have taken the vaccine.
St. Olaf college, too, is requiring its students to take a booster shot.
“All St. Olaf faculty, students and staff who are eligible to receive a booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine are required to do so by February 1,” that school said. “Our high vaccination rate has been a primary factor in keeping COVID-19 transmission low on campus this fall. But with the vaccines’ effectiveness waning over time, and with new, more transmissible variants contributing to breakthrough cases, it’s clear our community will need booster shots to prevent additional spread of the virus.”
Neither Carleton nor St. Olaf returned a comment request.
Data shows that the first two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine provide antibody protection for about six months, though none of the vaccines totally protect the recipient from getting the virus.
The schools did not offer guidance on what students should do if they still have immunity from their first two doses.
According to Best Colleges, there are 36 schools in the United States that have already told their students they will be required to take a third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data shows that COVID-19 deaths among 18-29-year-old Americans – the typical age group for America’s college students – are exceptionally rare.
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Pete D’Abrosca is a contributor at The Minnesota Sun and The Star News Network. Follow Pete on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
