Fordham may mandate an additional COVID-19 booster dose for eligible students, staff and faculty beginning September 2022. The shot has not yet been made mandatory, but the weekly Five Things COVID-19 update released to the Fordham community on April 1 mentioned the future possibility of mandating said vaccine for eligible individuals.

Keith Eldredge, assistant vice president and dean of Student Services has commented on the issue, stating: “At this time, we are not requiring an additional booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.”

Referring to the April 1 email, Eldredge explained that by including information about the possibility of a second booster vaccine, the email was meant to provide accurate, updated COVID-19 information and to give members of the Fordham community advanced notice due to the unpredictability of the pandemic.

Eldredge explained that Fordham policies are constantly changing in accordance with updated COVID-19 policies. As a result, the decision to mandate an additional COVID-19 booster dose for eligible students, staff and faculty will be made following the “… advice of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the New York City and state Departments of Health and an epidemiologist under contract to the University.”

Currently, the second booster is only available for those who have received the full vaccine series and are also immunocompromised or fall within certain age categories deemed “at risk.” According to Eldredge, Fordham will seriously consider mandating the second booster when it is made available to all people who have completed the vaccine series. Until it is available for everyone, not just select age categories, Fordham cannot make a concrete decision on the matter.

Fordham students seem to be aware of the possibility of a required second booster and the majority are willing to complete the vaccine series if it becomes mandated. “Yeah I’m absolutely on board. I 100% would get [the second booster],” said Angela Torricella, FCRH ’23.

Several other students, such as Sarah Hurbano, FCRH ’25, echoed her claims, saying, “I think mandating it would be awesome, because getting COVID-19 is not good and no one wants to spend a week quarantining in the Finlay basement.” This sentiment remained a common opinion among the expanse of the Rose Hill student body.

Agreement to receive a second booster, if mandated, garnered widespread support among most Fordham University students. Students seemed to be in consensus that they would rather receive a second booster vaccine due to a mandate by Fordham University, over frequently administered PCR tests.

Some other students even claimed they would receive the vaccine as long as it ensured they did not have to begin wearing masks again. Additionally, others claimed they would get the vaccine in order to return to campus next year. Noah Willsey, FCRH ’22, was one of the many students who agreed with the aforementioned statement, saying, “I mean I’m not going to be here, but I would get it if I had to.” A few students, however, are not ecstatic about the possibility of a mandated second booster. When asked if he would consider receiving the second booster, Michael Costello, FCRH ’25, said,

“Yeah, but if there was an option to not take it, I wouldn’t take it.”

Although Fordham has not yet mandated an additional COVID-19 booster dose for eligible students, staff and faculty, the staff has made it very clear that any future COVID-19 related decisions will be communicated to the Fordham community as quickly as possible.

The decision will be made to ensure eligible students have adequate time to both find and receive a second booster shot prior to the date in which they are required to have received it.

Changes to the Fordham University COVID-19 policy will be adjusted in accordance with other regulations, but the Fordham community should remain aware of a possible new vaccine mandate in the fall.