BYU Requiring Vaccination Status

[smac97]

Here:

Quote

Brigham Young University is requiring all students, faculty and staff to report their vaccination status before the start of fall semester, according to a BYU.edu news release Monday.

“Data about the BYU community vaccination rates will help inform COVID-19 protocol decisions for fall semester, such as mask requirements,” the news release said.

BYU has previously encouraged but not required employees or students to receive the COVID-19 vaccination.

The news release addressed several frequently asked questions:

Why is BYU requiring a vaccination status report?

“Utah County has been designated as a high transmission area again due to an increase in positive COVID-19 cases. The increasing prevalence of the new COVID-19 delta variant is concerning and BYU takes seriously the physical health and safety of our campus community, including those who are immunocompromised.

“BYU will take a scaled approach to disease prevention that corresponds to vaccination rates among the campus community.”

Are vaccinations required?

“BYU strongly encourages but does not require every employee or student to receive the COVID-19 vaccination to be on campus in Provo this upcoming semester. However, vaccination may be required for certain travel, research, or other programs to be determined in conjunction with applicable regulations and other guidelines.”

What if I choose not to submit a vaccination status report?

“If you haven’t reported your vaccination status by Thursday, August 19, your access to myBYU will be restricted until the report is received.”

If I report that I have not been vaccinated will I still be able to access myBYU? Will BYU impose any other restrictions on me if I report that I am not vaccinated?

“You will still be able to access myBYU if you report that you are not vaccinated. BYU is collecting this information in order to help inform COVID-19 protocol decisions for fall semester, such as mask requirements.”

What about my privacy?

“Personal information submitted in the survey will be kept private and secure. Only authorized BYU personnel with a need to know will have access to this personal information. For more information about BYU’s privacy practices, please visit the BYU Privacy Notice.”

...

In June, BYU-Hawaii announced it will require students to be vaccinated this fall.

In April, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which owns and operates both schools, recommended that its missionaries safeguard themselves with the vaccination.

This seems like a fairly decent middle ground.  BYU is a private school, and is therefore somewhat differently situated than state-run schools.  

Also, I note that CES is not taking a one-size-fits-all approach, and is instead letting each church school's administration make its own decision.

It is curious to see how, in some quarters, the decision to vaccinate, or not, is driven principally by political considerations/affiliations (see, e.g., here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here).  I have a good amount of trust in the counsel from Pres. Nelson and the other leaders of the Church.  

Thanks,

-Smac

[ksfisher]

13 minutes ago, smac97 said:

Here:

This seems like a fairly decent middle ground.  BYU is a private school, and is therefore somewhat differently situated than state-run schools.  

Also, I note that CES is not taking a one-size-fits-all approach, and is instead letting each church school's administration make its own decision.

It is curious to see how, in some quarters, the decision to vaccinate, or not, is driven principally by political considerations/affiliations (see, e.g., here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here).  I have a good amount of trust in the counsel from Pres. Nelson and the other leaders of the Church.  

Thanks,

-Smac

It seems like a sensible approach to take.  As of yesterday we returned to wearing masks at my work regardless of vaccination status.

[Raingirl]

I work for a state university. It was decided months ago that vaccination would be required for everyone in order for the campus to re- open this Fall.  Masks will also be required. 

[Tacenda]

20 minutes ago, Raingirl said:

I work for a state university. It was decided months ago that vaccination would be required for everyone in order for the campus to re- open this Fall.  Masks will also be required. 

Good for them!! And you.

[pogi]

The only part I don't understand is how a persons vaccination status would help inform COVID 19 mask protocol.  We now know that the Delta variant can be transmitted via vaccinated people just about as well as non-vaccinated people.  Shouldn't they be following CDC guidelines with masks as the church recommends for all its members? 

27 July 2021:

Quote

 

• The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is following the lead of governments and healthcare professionals around the world as it considers a measured return to normal operating procedures disrupted by COVID-19.
•  
•  
• Follow public health agency recommendations for using a face mask.

*Based on recommendations from the World Health Organization and the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Local leaders should encourage members to follow these guidelines.

https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/coronavirus-update

 

 

 

Edited August 3, 2021 by pogi

[Jane_Doe]

6 hours ago, pogi said:

The only part I don't understand is how a persons vaccination status would help inform COVID 19 mask protocol.  We now know that the Delta variant can be transmitted via vaccinated people just about as well as non-vaccinated people.  Shouldn't they be following CDC guidelines with masks as the church recommends for all its members? 

27 July 2021:

Transmitted: yes.   However, the chances of getting sick, requiring hospitalization, and death are all much lower for vaccinated people.  So you'd want to manage a population differently if they have lots non-vaccinated-higher-risk people, versus majority vaccinated unlikely to get very sick people. 

[pogi]

27 minutes ago, Jane_Doe said:

Transmitted: yes.   However, the chances of getting sick, requiring hospitalization, and death are all much lower for vaccinated people.  So you'd want to manage a population differently if they have lots non-vaccinated-higher-risk people, versus majority vaccinated unlikely to get very sick people. 

The problem is that these students don't live in a BYU bubble.  They live in a community with low vaccine rates, and some of the lowest for the state, high case rates, high rates of children who are unvaccinated, and will be exposed to and potentially expose others in the outside world.  Being that BYU is located in Provo, Utah, it does not fit the bill to go without a mask, even if you are vaccinated according to CDC guidelines (which church guidelines suggest we should be  following).  Being a church owned school, they should be following church (and thus CDC) guidelines:

Quote

 "In areas with substantial and high transmission, CDC recommends fully vaccinated people wear masks in public, indoor settings, to help prevent the spread of the Delta variant and protect others -- this includes schools."

Provo fits that bill of high transmission area.  I am having a hard time posting the map, but all but 3 counties in Utah are red (high transmission) areas. 

 

Edited August 3, 2021 by pogi

[Jane_Doe]

1 hour ago, pogi said:

The problem is that these students don't live in a BYU bubble.  They live in a community with low vaccine rates, and some of the lowest for the state, high case rates, high rates of children who are unvaccinated, and will be exposed to and potentially expose others in the outside world.  Being that BYU is located in Provo, Utah, it does not fit the bill to go without a mask, even if you are vaccinated according to CDC guidelines (which church guidelines suggest we should be  following).  Being a church owned school, they should be following church (and thus CDC) guidelines:

Provo fits that bill of high transmission area.  I am having a hard time posting the map, but all but 3 counties in Utah are red (high transmission) areas. 

 

I'm sure that BYU officials are also looking at the community numbers EXTREMELY closely.  

(Note: I do agree with you on the "yes we should be more careful" note too)

[Robert F. Smith]

On 8/3/2021 at 8:30 AM, smac97 said:

........This seems like a fairly decent middle ground.  BYU is a private school, and is therefore somewhat differently situated than state-run schools.  ...............

I know one woman at BYU-H who absolutely refuses to get vaccinated, even though she is only one course away from graduation.  There is simply no reasoning with her.

[Calm]

12 minutes ago, Robert F. Smith said:

I know one woman at BYU-H who absolutely refuses to get vaccinated, even though she is only one course away from graduation.  There is simply no reasoning with her.

If she thinks it might cripple her for life, that is understandable to me. 
 

The fact the risk is so low is what is problematic to me. 

[OGHoosier]

I've no objection to vaccination status obviously.

If masks are required then I hope to high heaven that they offer remote classes, because I got used to masks but still don't like them.

[Ipod Touch]

@smac97 -- Apologies if this has been addressed elsewhere.  I know that vaccine manufacturers cannot be held liable for any medium or long-term side-effects the vaccine may (but most likely won't) have.   We waived the right to sue when we got the vaccine.

But can employers or orgs (like BYU) be held liable for imposing mandates?  Are orgs that require the vaccine assuming the liability?

[smac97]

28 minutes ago, Ipod Touch said:

@smac97 -- Apologies if this has been addressed elsewhere.  I know that vaccine manufacturers cannot be held liable for any medium or long-term side-effects the vaccine may (but most likely won't) have.   We waived the right to sue when we got the vaccine.

But can employers or orgs (like BYU) be held liable for imposing mandates?  Are orgs that require the vaccine assuming the liability?

I doubt it.  Nobody is holding a gun to anyone's head.  If vaccination is a condition for attending BYU-H, then the student can either submit to that condition or not.  If they do get the vaccine, they cannot say they were coerced into it.

Thanks,

-Smac

[The Nehor]

While you can’t sue vaccine manufacturers if you suffer injury from getting a vaccine the federal government has a process to get compensation. A law was passed back in the 80s because vaccine manufacturers in the 70s and 80s were being deluged with lawsuits about injury that vaccines had caused. The manufacturers won the cases (no connection was ever found between the vaccine and the injury) but defending against them was becoming prohibitively expensive and their liability insurance costs were skyrocketing so the federal government took the liability away so that companies would continue to make vaccines.

Basically the federal government settles vaccine injury claims with with no-fault arbitration agreements.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Childhood_Vaccine_Injury_Act

You can submit a claim and win medical and legal expenses, loss of earnings, and up to a quarter million in pain and suffering. If your claim fails you can pursue it in court.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Vaccine_Injury_Compensation_Program