NEW ORLEANS— College junior Hunter Appleton is from Louisiana but goes to college at the University of Colorado in Boulder. He’s home for the summer, and says his school is requiring all students to be vaccinated in the Fall. Locally many universities are doing the same.
Loyola, Tulane, Xavier, and Dillard Universities are all requiring their students to be vaccinated before they can return to campus this Fall.
“On one hand it is good for people who may get a little sicker from the disease than the average college kid. Then on the other hand it is hard for the schools to just make people get it,” Appleton said.
It is a hot topic. Even Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry weighed in on the possibility of Louisiana State University—a public school—requiring students to get the COVID-19 vaccine. He says it is not legal because the vaccine is only FDA approved for Emergency use right now. He also said that some students may object because of their own religious beliefs.
Other college students agree they should have a choice, but ultimately they think the schools are doing it for the right reasons.
“To have options out there to have people think about it first before they get vaccinated,” Kashon Harrison, college student said.
“Especially to get back to normal classroom life and having more of a social life,” Amelia Bretz, college student said.
For students like Hunter, getting the vaccine is not a problem. He wants a normal school environment again and the alternative may be too risky.
“The predictable, short-lived if any side effects from the vaccine are much better than getting really ill,” he said.
For him getting the vaccine goes way beyond his Fall semester.
“The best part about it is when you see your grandparents for Christmas or Thanksgiving, then I don’t have to worry about giving it to them potentially,” Appleton said.