WASHINGTON — As students enjoy their winter breaks, universities are already planning for next semester's COVID protocols.
Some have decided to require boosters for students -- but others have yet to release policies.
Four D.C.-area colleges that are requiring them are Marymount University, American University, George Washington University, and Georgetown University.
Georgetown saw a dramatic jump in its COVID positivity rate the last week of classes.
Some of the GU Student Association's leaders agree with the mandate.
“It's ultimately our responsibility to ensure that when we're on campus in person, which is new, given the fact that for the last year or even two years, we've had hybrid to completely virtual courses, that it's as safe and as accessible a community as possible," student body president, Nile Blass said.
Student body VP, Thomas Leonard, plans to get the shot over break.
“My mother and I have a nice little bonding session planned for shortly after New Year's we wanted to get it together as a family," he said. "So I'm very excited to get it and very excited to hopefully continue getting back to as normal as we possibly can be as a school and the country.”
Other schools have opted not to require boosters, even though they are encouraging them, like Bowie State University. NOVA Community College hasn't mandated any COVID vaccinations for their students, but they have for staff, according to their website.
Some of the universities that have yet to release their plans are University of Maryland, Howard University, and George Mason University.
“I think that the pandemic is our specific generational point of conflict and needing to kind of overcome," Blass said. "But you know, I think we'll be fine. I believe in us.”
These are the due dates to submit vaccination information to each university:
Georgetown University: Jan. 21, 2022
George Washington University: Feb. 1, 2022
American University: Feb. 10, 2022
Marymount University: Jan. 18, 2022