NEW YORK — A protest was held Friday at Fordham University over the varsity’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate. All college students and workers have to be updated on their boosters by Nov. 1 so as to be allowed on campus.
CBS2’s Andrea Grymes has extra on protesters’ issues and the varsity’s response.
There have been honks of assist for the demonstrators standing outdoors the principle entrance to the Bronx campus. Dozens of scholars, staffers and fogeys made their voices heard towards the varsity’s vaccine mandate.
“My physique, my alternative, freedom. That is America,” staffer Virginia Ungaro stated.
“I’ve learn some stories about myocarditis and different uncomfortable side effects and it looks as if there’s a number of conflicting knowledge,” senior Kyle Sofhauser stated. “It needs to be a person alternative.”
Within the newest vaccination requirement, Fordham says, “All college school, college students, and workers have to be totally updated as outlined by the CDC as of Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2022, which incorporates the up to date bivalent booster.”
The varsity posted a video this week on Fb of its president, Tania Tetlow, receiving that shot.
“Proper now, we’re unsure what the winter holds, however this can be a nice option to have extra safety towards the brand new variant, to maintain our neighborhood secure, significantly probably the most weak in our neighborhood, and to maintain having the ability to operate,” Tetlow stated.
Political science professor Nicholas Tampio is only one staffer pushing again.
“For me, it is simply, if the vaccine does not cease transmission, there is not any justification to mandate it for different folks,” Tampio stated.
Response from college students outdoors the protest was blended.
“It does not hassle me a lot as a result of I’ve already gotten the booster,” junior Reed Maruyama stated.
“Something that can preserve the varsity open is nice for me,” junior Tatum Allen stated.
“I am placing extra stuff into my physique as a result of I need to proceed my training. I do not assume that is an excellent mixture,” senior Omayra Henriquez added.
Fordham denied CBS2’s request for an on-camera interview. As an alternative, it despatched us a protracted assertion, arguing the photographs are secure and do cut back transmission, that the varsity has a well-established exemption course of, and noting greater than 20 faculties and universities have mandated the bivalent booster, together with Harvard and Tufts.
