Aug 9, 2021 – The Biden government announced initiatives to promote the safety of colleges and universities this fall as COVID-19 case rates rise across the country.
Among the new initiatives that the administration will take on 5.
Increasing vaccination rates is the main issue. More than 20 million students are returning to the United States for undergraduate and graduate degrees this month.
“For young people, getting vaccinated right away is the best way back to the things they love – like exercising, graduating from college, and spending time with friends and loved ones,” a press release said.
“University campuses are really about togetherness – roommates, parties and sporting events. So it’s not just classrooms and curriculum spaces, but also the social spaces that need to be considered, “said Preeti Malani, MD, chief health officer at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, during a media briefing on July 27th was sponsored by the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA).
“We saw that last year. Even with good attempts at testing and masking and social distancing, it was really difficult to prevent the spread of COVID,” said Malani, who is also an IDSA fellow and professor of medicine in the Department of Medicine Infectious Diseases at the University of Michigan.
“When there were outbreaks, there was always a social connection,” she continued.
In person if possible
Although the Biden government has also issued guidelines for kindergarten through high school students returning to face-to-face learning, “the big difference from the K-12 room is that college kids are broadly eligible for vaccination”, said Malani.
Although uncertainties remain – especially with the spike in COVID-19 cases this summer, mainly driven by the Delta variant – there is consensus among experts that the goal is a safe return to face-to-face learning.
“We know children need to return to face-to-face learning given the significant negative impact of not attending school in person for the past year,” said Tina Q. Tan, MD, a doctor specializing in pediatric infectious diseases at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, said during the briefing.
“The expectation now is that it will be entirely in person,” said Tan, who is also an IDSA fellow and professor of pediatrics at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine. However, she cautioned that if the surge in COVID-19 cases continues, “some schools may revert to a hybrid model”.
In higher education, too, face-to-face learning is expected, Malani said, but a major COVID-19 outbreak on a campus could change that.
Backpack, laptop and vaccine?
The Biden Administration’s Vax to School College Checklist highlights eight ways colleges and universities can raise awareness about COVID-19 vaccines. Another goal is to provide access to vaccinations when students return to campus.
This initiative builds on the work of nearly 900 colleges participating in the COVID-19 College Vaccine Challenge. These institutions agreed to work towards increasing student vaccination rates.
The administration also releases resources to help set up pop-up vaccine clinics at K-12 schools and on college campuses.
During a press conference at the White House on Aug. 5, a journalist asked about promoting vaccination among students at historically black colleges and universities.
“I visited Howard University about a month ago and was so impressed with the way they set up vaccination clinics in their facilities,” said United States Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona, who met White House press secretary Jen Psaki at the press conference at the time.
“And we had Howard University students giving vaccines. They use their name in the community to build trust in the community – the black community – so that they were comfortable when they walked in.”
physical education
The inclusion of COVID-19 vaccination counseling in sports exercises is another initiative that was announced in the Biden administration’s leaflet on safe return to school. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine, the American Academy of Family Physicians, and nine other organizations made a consensus statement on Aug. 5.
These groups urge all healthcare providers to inquire about COVID-19 vaccination status and, if available, to administer the vaccine during exercise. The AAP has also updated its athletic physical forms to include COVID-19 vaccination language.
The strategy could make a huge difference, with around 60 to 70% of children and young people across the country participating in organized sports, the AAP notes.
Malani said the impact of COVID-19 on college sports had been disappointing in 2020 but had been more positive given higher vaccination rates for this school year.
“I’m one of many people who are grateful that autumn will be more typical when it comes to sporting events,” she said.
Act
The Back to School Week of Action, sponsored by the US Department of Health and partner organizations, aims to encourage more young people to get vaccinated and provide accessible ways to get the vaccine in local communities.
HHS plans to involve school districts, students, teachers, national organizations, local government leaders, corporations, social media influencers, celebrities and thousands of volunteers across the country in the effort, which will take place August 7-15. The plans include more than 200 vaccination events focused on K-12 and college students.
“Right now, the vaccine requirements are a bit sketchy,” said Malani. She said most universities and colleges have guidelines that either strongly encourage or mandate vaccinations.
As the pandemic continues to change, very little remains for sure, “but I can say that highly vaccinated campuses are in the best position to avoid major disruptions this fall,” she said.
Another challenge is hosting international students – 7,000 of them, which is about 15% of the University of Michigan’s student body.
“It’s complicated because vaccinations are not available everywhere in the world. We advise students to get vaccinated anywhere if they get it, ”Malani said.
Nationwide mandate unlikely
“It would be difficult to have a federal mandate, probably not impossible, but politically difficult,” Malani said in response to a reporter question about federal vaccine requirements.
“I would help employers and schools look carefully at what they can do to push the boundaries,” she continued. “We have to do something other than say, ‘Go and get the vaccine.'”
Malani herself is the mother of college-aged students.
“When I think about sending them to campus, I have a number of risks to their safety, welfare, and academics,” she said. “Returning to face-to-face teaching is not without risk.” Returning to campus is not a zero risk. “
But she noted, “We can do everything we can to minimize this risk.”
WebMD health news
swell
Preeti Malani, MD, Chief Health Officer, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Tina Q. Tan, MD, attending physician, pediatric infectious disease, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital, Chicago
Miguel Cardona, US Secretary of Education
© 2021 WebMD, LLC. All rights reserved.
Comments are closed.