Seven in ten students believe colleges and universities have the right to require them to be vaccinated before returning to school, a survey among 1,000 students released by College Pulse found. Nineteen percent do not agree, while 10 percent are unsure.
The belief as to whether colleges have the right to require vaccines is sharply divided along political lines. An overwhelming 81 percent of students who identify as Democrats agree that they do, whereas only 44 percent of Republicans share this sentiment.
Students from private institutions are more inclined to agree, with 78 percent believing schools have the right to require vaccination. Meanwhile, only 69 percent of public school students feel the same way.
Safety Concerns
The study further found that about one-third (27 percent) of students are “somewhat worried” about the safety of the vaccine, with nine percent “very worried.”
Students of color are more likely to worry about vaccine safety compared to white students, with 43 percent stating that they are somewhat worried.
Despite these concerns, over half of respondents (52 percent) said they were “very likely” to get a shot as soon as it becomes available. A quarter said to be “somewhat likely,” and only 1 in 10 said to be “not likely at all.”
Vaccine Availability in Schools
Schools have begun making vaccines available to their respective communities.
Northeastern University was one of the first institutions to administer the vaccine to its community, administering 100 doses in the first week of January. Boston University started vaccinating community members on January 15, with the process set to continue throughout the next few months.
