LCCC, UW won't require students and staff to take COVID-19 vaccines next fall
Apr. 21—CHEYENNE — Many colleges and universities across the country have announced they will require students and employees to receive the COVID-19 vaccine before returning to campus next fall.
But neither Laramie County Community College nor the University of Wyoming plans to join the trend.
"We are working hard to provide (students and employees) with good resources so they can make informed decisions about whether or not they choose personally to get the vaccine," said Lisa Trimble, associate vice president of institutional advancement for LCCC.
The college shut down in-person learning last spring and reopened this fall to mostly online learning, with a few exceptions; students and employees who have been coming to campus are required to wear masks and social distance in an effort to contain the spread of the virus, which has killed more than 700 Wyomingites.
Next fall, the college is planning to reopen for mostly in-person learning.
"Going into the start of the fall semester, we will continue to require face masks and encourage social distancing as much as possible just to continue to keep people safe," Trimble said. "Our hope is that things continue to improve and get better and look at potential rollbacks, but (our) approach is going to be requiring face masks and social distancing over requiring the vaccination."
As of this month, every American 16 and older is eligible for the vaccine, though recent reporting from the Casper Star-Tribune said that Wyoming is home to some of the most vaccine-hesitant counties in the country.
UW, which reported Monday that 56.2% of its full-time, benefited employees have been vaccinated, has taken a similar approach to LCCC's handling of the virus since the pandemic started more than a year ago.
Wyoming's only public four-year university, which held limited in-person classes last semester, has since opened up more in-person learning a few weeks ago — and is planning to resume traditional campus operations in the fall. It's also providing incentives, such as electronics and football tickets, to employees who choose to get the vaccine.
"We're not requiring the vaccine at this point. We've not said that will never be the case, but I'm not sensing any big push to do that," said Chad Baldwin, associate vice president of institutional communications for UW. Students and employees who do choose to get vaccinated are required to report it to the university.
One of the reasons for not requiring it, Baldwin said, "is that these vaccines are still experimental."
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the different brands of the COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use back in December, and they have been found to be highly effective and generally safe.
"If the FDA eventually approves these, and they're no longer in the experimental stage, I think that's something we may revisit," Baldwin said.
Kathryn Palmer is the Wyoming Tribune Eagle's education reporter. She can be reached at kpalmer@
wyomingnews.com or 307-633-3167. Follow her on Twitter at @kathrynb
palmer.
