I predict you'll see more and more New Jersey colleges and Universities requiring COVID vaccines as we move forward. The list has already grown since the last time I posted about this topic just a few weeks ago. By the end of the summer, students will need to have proof of being fully vaccinated against COVID to be allowed to return to campus.  There will be exemptions for health or religious reasons but we are not sure what restrictions those students will have if any.

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Rutgers University lead the charge in the vaccine requirement decision back in March, and other New Jersey schools have been following their lead. Kean University has been added to the list as well as New Jersey Institute of Technology and Stevens Institute of Technology.

NJIT and Stevens took their policy further than Rutgers by also requiring vaccines for all faculty and staff by the end of summer which to me makes prefect sense. Why have students be required to take their shots and not the staff? I think we forget that vaccines are already required to attend public schools and COVID is no different. College students are already required to be vaccinated against meningitis , hepatitis B and measles, mumps and rubella (either two MMR vaccines or two doses of measles vaccine and one dose of mumps and rubella vaccine). Without this step we will continue to let the clock tick on these kids and before you know it the sum of their college experience will be looking at the four walls of their house while getting their education online.
Listen to Shannon Holly mornings on 94.3 The Point and download our free 94.3 The Point app.

The full list of New Jersey colleges and universities that currently have COVID required vaccines are:

Rutgers University
Kean University
New Jersey Institute of Technology
Stevens Institute of Technology
Fairleigh Dickinson University
Montclair State University
New Jersey City University
Drew University
Princeton University

Again it is not enough to say you had the vaccine, these schools will require proper documentation that they got either their second dose of Pfizer or Moderna or a single-dose of Johnson & Johnson at least two weeks BEFORE they move into their campus housing. Make sure your college student makes plans to get their appointment in enough time to be back in the fall! This list will continue to grow and I'll keep you updated!

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