American colleges and universities are requiring students to receive an updated COVID-19 booster shot, but some students call the requirement "out of line."
Students at Yale University, University of Notre Dame, Tufts University, Harvard University, and Fordham University are all required to obtain an updated COVID-19 bivalent booster vaccine.
Fordham University in New York City required students to be fully up to date with their vaccinations, including the "updated bivalent booster," by Nov. 1, 2022.
At Tufts University, faculty, student and staff are required to obtain the COVID-19 bivalent booster by Jan. 23, 2023.
"Currently, only around 50% of our university population has received the bivalent booster. The closer we get to 100%, the healthier our community will be," a Nov. 30 notice from Tufts University read.
A spokesperson from Yale University told Fox News Digital that "We are requiring students to receive the bivalent booster because their circumstances are somewhat different from those of faculty and staff, especially with regard to congregate housing and participation in large gatherings." However, the spokesperson noted that students can "seek an exemption from the booster requirement on medical or religious grounds."
Notre Dame requires the bivalent booster as a "condition" for enrolling in classes for the 2023-2024 academic year. Even students that are studying remotely must receive the booster.
Many schools required the COVID-19 vaccine for attendance when the vaccine first came out. A smaller number of schools are now requiring the updated booster shot.
Michael Bellia, the vice president of the Fordham College Republicans, told Fox News Digital that the new requirement is a bit too much and is crossing the line.
"I think it's out of line with [what] other schools are doing," Bellia said. "There's obviously no state policy or mandate anymore on the matter."
Belia says there has been significant pushback against the additional booster requirement.
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