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2 Private W.Va. Schools Will Require Student Vaccination

A volunteer received a shot of the experimental Moderna vaccine against COVID-19 in March as part of a safety study.

At least a couple of private West Virginia schools are requiring students to be vaccinated against COVID-19 this fall.

The University of Charleston and Bethany College both say vaccinations will be required for the upcoming school year.

University of Charleston President Marty Roth told news outlets that it is the school’s responsibility to provide a healthy environment for the 1,500 students expected at the Charleston campus and 200 at the Beckley campus. The way to do that is to require students to be vaccinated, he said.

Students at the university won’t have to wear masks, but 3 feet of social distancing will be required in classrooms and public spaces, Roth said.

Bethany College’s vaccination requirement was decided by the college’s Pandemic Response Team in accordance with Centers for Disease Control guidance, the school said.

“I applaud our community for its commitment to protecting one another, and I believe strongly that our decision to require the vaccine will maximize the Bethany experience even more,” Bethany President Tamara Nichols Rodenberg said in an email announcing the update.