As new cases of the coronavirus surge in Michigan, Grand Valley State University officials say they are considering a vaccine mandate for students this fall, but hope it doesn’t come to that.
According to the Michigan Association of State Universities, a vaccine mandate is being discussed by several Michigan based colleges and universities, but no decisions have been made as of yet…
But officials say there are two components at play: one the fact that Michigan is currently leading the nation in new coronavirus infections, and 2, a portion of the population that is reluctant to get vaccinated.
Grand Valley State University Financial Officer Greg Sanail also leads the university’s Virus Action Team. He says, hope remains that enough students voluntarily get vaccinated by the end of the summer, that a vaccine requirement won’t be needed.
“The surveys that we have done with our students, faculty and staff—everyone one was overwhelmingly supportive of getting the vaccine,” Sanail said. “We may be able to achieve overwhelming vaccine acceptance in our community without the mandate,” he said.
Sanail adds that if a mandate were to come down from University leaders, the vaccine would be required to live in campus housing, not to attend class.