Regents OK vaccine mandate for UMN students, pending full FDA approval - TwinCities.com-Pioneer Press

The Board of Regents on Friday agreed to require that all University of Minnesota students get vaccinated against the coronavirus once any of the vaccines wins full approval from the Food and Drug Administration.

President Joan Gabel said a survey found the vast majority of people on campus have been vaccinated.

“This is to close as much of the gap as possible in order to ensure that the delta variant and other variants that may be coming do not interfere with our strong desire to have the most robust fall semester we possibly can,” she said Friday.

Gabel announced last week that face masks would be required inside campus buildings with coronavirus cases on the rise locally and across the country. Her call for a vaccine mandate came days later.

Regents on a 10-1 vote Friday approved a resolution adding the coronavirus shot to the list of vaccines required to attend the U.

Students can get exemptions from the mandate for medical or religious reasons. But unlike other required vaccines, students will not have the option of claiming a conscientious objection.

Regents said the mandate will help the U stick with in-person instruction during the upcoming school year.

“We need to take action here to prevent another period of remote learning in our university triggered by another surge in the pandemic,” board chairman Ken Powell said.

The U also has been consulting with faculty and staff leaders on a proposed requirement that employees either be vaccinated or take regular tests to see if they are infected. That mandate does not require approval from the regents.

Regent Darrin Rosha on Friday advocated for treating students and staff the same by offering them the choice of a vaccine or regular testing. He said that’s the approach favored by faculty leaders.

“I find a level of discomfort in applying different standards to different folks. I certainly haven’t seen anything that would indicate the virus differentiates between people’s status as students, staff or faculty,” he said.

None of his fellow regents joined Rosha’s motion.

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Regents OK vaccine mandate for UMN students, pending full FDA approval - TwinCities.com-Pioneer Press
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