Just one day after the FDA approved Pfizer’s two-dose vaccine, The Ohio State University has announced they will require students, faculty and staff to receive the vaccine.
“With Monday’s news that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted full approval to the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, Ohio State will now require every student, faculty and staff member to be vaccinated against COVID-19,” said OSU President Kristina M. Johnson. “We are focused on enhancing the health and safety of our community. This step will increase our ability to support our students in continuing their educational experiences as well as help protect our current and the state’s future workforce.”
Johnson acknowledged that those vaccinated can still catch the virus. She went on to say individuals who are vaccinated are less contagious.
“The good news is that vaccinated individuals, though they can get COVID-19, are less contagious than unvaccinated individuals and they are significantly less likely to be hospitalized or die from the virus,” she said. “Masks also continue to be an effective tool at combating the spread of COVID-19. That is why we are implementing our vaccine requirement with urgency as well as continuing our protocol to require everyone to wear masks indoors regardless of vaccination status.”
All Ohio State students, faculty and staff must have at least the first dose by Friday, October 15, 2021. The second dose deadline is November 15, 2021.