Tipsheet

Harvard Finally Drops Vaccine Mandate...but a Shocking Number of Colleges Still Require the Jab

Nearly three years after first mandating that students receive a COVID-19 vaccine, Harvard University announced Tuesday they are no longer necessary.

“Harvard University Health Services (HUHS) will no longer require students to receive the COVID-19 vaccine,” the university wrote in an update on its immunization compliance webpage. 

“We strongly recommend that all members of the Harvard community stay up-to-date on COVID-19 vaccines, including boosters if eligible. Additionally, we continue to emphasize the benefits of wearing a high-quality face mask in crowded indoor settings and remaining at home if unwell,” the message continued. “HUHS considers state and federal guidance, along with advice from the University’s public health experts, in responding to COVID-19. We will continue to monitor public health data and will periodically review requirements.”

Last May, Harvard announced it dropped the requirement to receive boosters after the public health emergency ended, but the University continued to mandate initial vaccination. 

The latest update came just days after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated and simplified its respiratory virus recommendations, suggesting COVID can be treated like the flu. In other words, stay home until symptoms improve and you've gone at least 24 hours without a fever. 

“Covid-19 is still an important public health threat, but it is not the emergency that it once was,” said the CDC's Dr. Brendan Jackson, reports The Wall Street Journal. “And its health impacts increasingly resemble those of other [respiratory viral] illnesses, including influenza and RSV.”

Critics panned the University for holding on to the requirement this long. 

According to the group No College Mandates, 61 colleges and universities are still requiring the jabs.