Most LI Colleges To Require COVID Vaccines For Students In Fall

LONG ISLAND, NY — It's still summer, but the start of the fall semester for local colleges is just around the corner. And with the coronavirus still a concern, many Long Island colleges are requiring students be vaccinated in order to attend classes on campus.

Many people want life to get back to how it was before the pandemic began, and a large part of that is students attending classes in person. But in order to do that, schools have to make sure students and staff will be safe from the coronavirus. Because of that, hundreds of colleges across the country are requiring students be vaccinated to attend classes.

Of the colleges and universities on Long Island, a majority are requiring students to be vaccinated. Many others are encouraging students to get a coronavirus vaccine, but are not making it a mandate.

Here's how Long Island colleges fall:

Requiring Vaccines

• Suffolk Community College
• Stony Brook University
• SUNY Old Westbury
• Farmingdale State College
• Hofstra University
• Five Towns College
• Touro College

Recommending Vaccines

• Molloy College
• Adelphi University
• New York Institute of Technology, Old Westbury (likely to be mandatory once vaccines get full FDA approval)
• Nassau Community College (likely to be mandatory once vaccines get full FDA approval)
• St. Joseph's College
• Long Island University (LIU Brentwood, LIU Riverhead and LIU Post)

"This past spring, 116 students plus faculty and staff received free COVID-19 vaccinations on campus," said Janine Biscari, the vice president for student affairs at Molloy. "We strongly encourage students, faculty and employees to be vaccinated before returning to campus in the fall. Students want to be back in person and we will continue to monitor developments and adhere to all guidance from the CDC and New York State Department of Health to allow them to safely do so.”

As the delta variant continues to spread across the country, the number of colleges requiring the vaccine will likely climb. Daily average coronavirus cases in the United States are hovering near 35,000, a 200 percent increase from 14 days ago, according to a database compiled by The New York Times. Deaths are also up 75 percent.

Colleges will also be battling a decline in the number of people seeking vaccines. Demand has slowed considerably in recent weeks and, currently, just under 60 percent of all adults in the United States are considered fully vaccinated.

In 2020, the pandemic emptied dormitories, lecture halls and other facilities as colleges shifted to remote instruction.

This year, college officials are hoping to avoid a repeat of last year in hopes of offering students a more traditional experience, which means in-person lectures, study groups in the library, and social gatherings.

“Long Island University will continue to protect the health and safety of our campus community while providing an exceptional learning experience for our students," a spokesman for the school said. "As we approach the fall, we will follow all guidelines set forth from federal, state and local health departments, and shape our plans based on the guidance of public health experts.”

So far, colleges have typically taken four different approaches, according to a report by U.S. News & World Report. While some are fully requiring vaccines, others are offering students incentives to voluntarily get immunized. Some are waiting to see if the U.S. Food and Drug Administration fully approves a vaccine. Others are simply opting not to require it.

Currently, all COVID-19 vaccines in use in the United States have received emergency use authorization by the FDA, a status that some experts say makes mandating the vaccine a “legal gray area,” U.S. News reported.

Once the FDA fully approves a vaccine, colleges should have no difficulty requiring it, especially considering most already require students to provide proof of other vaccinations.