SU Urges Students to Get Vaccinated by June 1st

By Benjamin Schiller

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Syracuse University Public Health expert Dr. David Larsen is urging students to get vaccinated today. 

“So right now the vaccines if (a student) hasn’t gotten a vaccine yet, (they) will be on (their) own to get one but they are widely available in Onondaga County, Syracuse, and (their) local communities. A student should now get one in their home communities,” said Larsen. 

The Barnes Center is no longer hosting vaccine clinics. According to Larsen, more than three quarters of S-U students are fully vaccinated. He believes it’s on all students to get their friends vaccinated by the June 1st deadline. 

“For folks who don’t trust the vaccine or don’t trust the process, I encourage you to talk to public health people or to talk to your medical doctor. These vaccines have been tested in millions and millions of people by now and they keep track of any type of side effect or any type of issue,” said Larsen. 

Larsen expects more than 98-percent of students to be vaccinated by the Fall semester. For students who don’t qualify for a medical or religious exemption and don’t get vaccinated, they could get into serious trouble. 

“I’d imagine that they would be suspended. If they don’t have a reason to not get the vaccine, then they will be offered the vaccine. And if they refuse, they will have the opportunity to go to a different university,” said Larsen. 

Like many, Larsen believes S-U could potentially resume normal operation in the Fall, but it requires everyone to sign-up for it. 

“The big thing is that the vaccines help us get our lives back. We are pushing the vaccines on everybody because they are safe and effective, and that’s the quickest way to get our lives back,” said Larsen.