LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Five major Kentucky colleges and universities told Spectrum News 1 they have no plans to mandate a COVID-19 vaccine for students who attend classes in person next fall.
The question was posed after last week’s decision by Rutgers University to require vaccinations for returning students.
“We are committed to health and safety for all members of our community, and adding COVID-19 vaccination to our student immunization requirements will help provide a safer and more robust college experience for our students,” Rutgers President Jonathan Holloway said in a statement.
The University of Louisville will not follow the lead of its former Big East rival. “At this time, vaccinations are strongly recommended but not required,” UofL spokesman John Karman said. Earlier this month, UofL said students should expect the fall semester to include “a robust residential experience with in-person classes and fully staffed student services.”
For its “return to normal,” the University of Kentucky is planning for attendance and courses to look like they did in 2019, President Eli Capilouto said this month. As the university prepares for that, there have been no discussions about mandating COVID-19 vaccines, spokesperson Jay Blanton said.
In Bowling Green, Western Kentucky University is “strongly” recommending vaccination, spokesperson Bob Skipper said. But the school “will not require it.” WKU is also planning a return to normal operations in the fall.
Eastern Kentucky University, which is also working toward a return to pre-COVID levels of instruction in the fall, “currently does not have any stipulations requiring vaccines for students or employees, but they are highly encouraged following the CDC recommendations,” spokesperson Kristi Runyon Middleton said.
Morehead State University is taking a similar approach. “We do encourage everyone to get the vaccine, but do not mandate it,” spokesperson Rick Hesterberg said. He also noted that the school has partnered with a local health care provider to help vaccinate those on campus.
The importance of vaccinating college students has become more clear in recent weeks as some states are seeing cases spike among young people.
But mandating vaccines isn’t the only solution. Dickinson State University has devised a different approach to encourage vaccination. The North Dakota college will provide students, faculty, and staff who have been fully vaccinated with a pin exempting them from the campus mask mandate.
Editor's note: The original version of this story said Morehead State and a partner organization were vaccinating students on campus. The vaccinations aren't being given on campus but rather nearby.