NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ – Senator Declan O’Scanlon sharply criticized Rutgers University for its ongoing COVID vaccine mandate, following the university’s announcement that it will continue to require students to provide proof of COVID-19 immunization or face possible dis-enrollment.
Rutgers was the first university in the nation to require students to be vaccinated against COVID-19, a policy that has drawn both praise and condemnation. Despite the federal government declaring an end to the public health emergency months ago, Rutgers continues to enforce this mandate.
Senator O’Scanlon (R-13) expressed strong disapproval of this policy, stating, “It’s baffling to see that from what should be a leading voice of science-based rationality, comes arbitrary garbage. We now know for an absolute fact that the COVID vaccine protects no one except the recipient of the vaccine. Broad-based policies like this should only be enacted with the goal of protecting individuals from someone else’s action or inaction. It’s not the job of Rutgers, or Governor Murphy, or anyone else to enact a policy to protect me from myself and my own decisions– or from some perceived protection of my own self due to my own decisions.”
O’Scanlon also pointed out what he perceives to be inconsistencies in Rutgers’ approach, as the university is mandating the primary vaccine series but not boosters. He argued that any potential benefit from the initial vaccine has likely waned due to evolving strains of the virus, and emphasized the probability of people having some level of natural immunity after likely exposure to COVID over the past few years.
He concluded by strongly advocating for students’ right to choose, stating, “Rutgers students who don’t want to get the vaccine for whatever reason should be allowed to not get the vaccine and still attend college– that should absolutely be no business of irrational Rutgers administrators. Good job Rutgers for putting another stake in the heart of the credibility of institutions of higher education and the greater health policy community. Maybe the good news is that there’s so little credibility left the net result isn’t impacted that much by this ludicrous mandate.”
Rutgers University has not publicly responded to Senator O’Scanlon’s comments at the time of this report.
The debate over vaccine mandates continues to be a contentious issue, reflecting broader societal disagreements over individual choice, public health, and the role of institutions in enforcing health policies.