Bennington College is the first college or university in Vermont to require students to be fully vaccinated before returning to campus in the fall.
In a letter on the school’s website, President Laura Walker wrote that the vaccine mandate would help to ensure the safety of the community as the school works toward a more open campus than last fall.
“Broad immunization is critical to controlling the spread of the virus and to protecting our community,” Walker wrote last week. “A safer Bennington College community supports a safer Vermont for our families and our neighbors.”
Exemptions will be made available for students for medical or religious reasons, Walker wrote. No decision has been made yet regarding staff and faculty.
Other colleges in Vermont remain undecided as officials continue to mull over the public health advantages with potential legal pushback.
While student restrictions remain tight, guidelines related to campus tours have recently relaxed, Gov. Phil Scott confirmed Friday. The University of Vermont reopened the visitor center this week to small groups, including out-of-state families following the state’s travel policy.
Travel has accounted for “well under 5%” of new Covid-19 cases in Vermont, Health Commissioner Mark Levine said.
“We felt that this was not a high-risk proposition, and would benefit the universities and colleges,” Levine said at a press conference Friday.
Vaccination appointments for Vermont residents 16-29 years old opened Saturday, and the health department announced Wednesday that part-time residents — including out-of-state college students — will be able to register beginning April 29.
As for now, the state has opted against setting up pop-up vaccination sites on college campuses. The two-dose schedule for the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines presents a time crunch for out-of-state students as the end of the semester looms.
“All I can ask you there is to stay tuned,” Levine said at Friday’s press conference, while the state awaited guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration regarding the resumption of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
“We’ve worked hard to ensure the vaccine is located in close proximity to many of our campuses,” said Jenney Samuelson, deputy secretary of the Agency of Human Services.
Vaccination sites are closer to some campuses than others. According to the Vaccine Spotter website, the nearest site to Bennington College with open slots appears to be the downtown Walgreens. The pharmacy is about 4 miles away from campus, which could be a challenge for students without access to transportation.
Scott suggested that out-of-state students could receive the first dose of the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine before traveling home and then receive the second in their home states.
“The other states have seemingly more supply than we do and less demand in many, many states,” Scott said.
