By Adrian Velonis, Co-Editor-in-Chief
On April 28, Bi-Co Presidents Wendy Raymond and Kim Cassidy sent an email to students, faculty and staff with a long-awaited subject line: “COVID Vaccinations to be Required for Students for Fall 2021.” The announcement comes on the heels of rollouts for the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines at Haverford and Bryn Mawr, as well as a plan for in-person learning in the fall semester, solidifying the colleges’ long-term strategy to mitigate the spread of the virus.
“Bryn Mawr and Haverford are each grateful to have had the opportunity to offer vaccination clinics this spring,” Cassidy and Raymond wrote. “As infectious disease and public health experts continue to advise, mass vaccination offers the surest path to community health and to the prospect of increased in-person instruction, activities, and gatherings in the fall.
“As a result, Bryn Mawr and Haverford Colleges will require all students, whether residential or commuting, to be vaccinated against COVID-19 for the 2021–2022 academic year.”
Virtually all students housed on-campus have received at least one dose of a vaccine, with 500 doses being administered on Haverford’s first day of vaccinations alone. As of the 28th, many students have already received their second doses of the Pfizer vaccine; the final round of Moderna doses, which have a longer window between the first and second shots, will be administered on May 12. Bryn Mawr has also seen high demand for their vaccination clinics. More than 1,000 people received their first dose of the Pfizer vaccine on the 17th and 18th of April at a clinic held in Bryn Mawr’s Schwartz Gymnasium.
Students reacted positively to the news that vaccinations would be mandatory, considering it an indication of a less restrictive fall semester. “I’m feeling very hopeful for next year, especially considering the recent news on requiring vaccines,” said Abby Wolfenden (HC ‘22). “I think that by requiring vaccines next semester we’ll be able to return to a sense of normalcy on campus while also ensuring that our community is healthy and safe.”
But the Bi-Co’s plans for the fall still have some conservative elements. While large gatherings, athletic competitions and housing doubles are to be expected, some remnants of COVID restrictions may persist as well. In an April 9 interview with the Haverford Clerk, President Raymond stated that “We expect [campus life in the fall] will look much like it looked in the 2019–2020 year—except that we’ll be wearing masks and except that we will all be vaccinated.” She said that a decision for indoor dining would require further advice from health experts.
In practice, it is unclear whether universal mask mandates would be obeyed by vaccinated students in the fall. While students have largely adhered to masking guidelines in public spaces during the 2020–2021 year, reports to Campus Safety of unmasked individuals are already commonplace. Outdoor gatherings at Lloyd Hall, a popular dorm for seniors and juniors, sometimes feature large crowds with limited social distancing (Campus Safety now preemptively arrives at the dorm on party nights).
Some students also question the necessity of masks after being inoculated against the virus. “I want people to be safe, but y’all are so pessimistic about [the vaccines] that it’s affecting my mental health,” said one student from Haverford’s Class of 2022, who wished to remain anonymous. “I feel like people keep underestimating them. […] If you look at the countries that have [vaccinated most of their citizens], like Israel, they have it all under wraps. At that point masks would just be symbolic.”
President Raymond clarified in her interview that “all of this can change if the path of COVID continues to change,” whether more aggressive variants in the future are able to bypass existing vaccines or the pandemic comes to an end. She envisioned a “Level 0” of the Bi-Co Mitigation Plan that would see light restrictions for students, but with the capacity to go back to Levels 1 or 2 if there were an outbreak on campus.
Administrators also noted that access to vaccines is far from universal for those studying remotely, especially outside of the United States. “We recognize that this requirement may be complicated for some students, including international students and those who have limited access to vaccines,” they stated. “We are committed to working with all students to support them.”
Raymond and Cassidy did not explicitly rule out medical and religious exemptions from the vaccine, saying only that additional details would be released in the coming weeks. The initial announcement also does not apply to faculty and staff, although posters on campus have stated a vaccination requirement for summer workers and residents.
Image credit: Ruby Bouhassira ’24/Haverford College; Bryn Mawr College; Adrian Velonis ’22
