Mary Murphy

Managing Editor 

mem6812@psu.edu

For those that are unaware, Penn State University (branch campuses included) have not yet mandated vaccines for either students or faculty. This decision baffles me. A vaccine mandate should have been an immediate addition to the Penn State requirements. 

Certainly there are many considerations to be had before such a decision is made. The vaccine has unsurprisingly become highly politicized–never has being an anti-vaxxer been more popular. There has been significant republican pushback against the vaccine, an endlessly frustrating position given the public health necessity of mass vaccination. 

There is widespread agreement amongst experts: vaccination is the easiest way to end the pandemic once and for all. These facts aside, the republicans have taken their contrarian views to the extreme and insisted that receiving the vaccine is not only a matter of personal discretion but a potentially dangerous endeavor. I find this position to be endlessly disingenuous and indescribably harmful. Let’s be honest, many of the COVID vaccine misinformation peddlers are vaccinated themselves. It’s not an issue of genuine concern but an issue meant to tribalize a political faction. 

Regardless of motivation, the dangers are poignant. The rampant misinformation surrounding the vaccine and its legitimacy has encouraged many to become vaccine hesitant and therefore harmed society more generally. In the context of Penn State, this politicization, and the addition of a threat from republicans to pull funding, is a justification offered by the university. 

An additional argument against the mandate is one that is no longer standing. As of August 23 the Food and Drug Administration fully approved the Pfizer vaccine. Previously, the vaccine had only been approved for emergency use. Of course, as I mentioned previously, the FDA’s recent decision dismantles this position. However, I found that it was still worth mentioning, given how fundamental it was to many arguments in favor of optional vaccination. 

Despite the above reasons–though it’s important to note that these reasons are not exhaustive–I believe Penn State should absolutely require a COVID vaccine for faculty, students and staff. Politics should never get in the way of public safety. Unfortunately, that  appears  to be exactly what is happening. The vaccine has been proven to be a deterrent for COVID related hospitalizations and the higher the vaccination rate the less rapidly the virus will spread. The necessity of mass vaccination simply cannot be overstated. 

Truthfully, many college students aren’t necessarily prioritizing vaccination. A vaccine mandate is the exact push that many need to finally get vaccinated. It is often, I have found, a question of convenience and, as it stands, the most convenient path isn’t vaccination. Someone may not have a staunch anti-vax position but they certainly aren’t eager to get the vaccine–a mandate might be the only way to reach these people. This is why Penn State’s decision is so significant.

It not only has the power to protect its students with a vaccine mandate, but to protect the greater community as a whole.