Rutegers University requires all students to be vaccinated before this Fall semester

罗格斯大学要求学生秋季返校前需全部接种疫苗

燕山大学 刘立军 供稿

TRANSCRIPT

This Fall Rutgers University says it will require its students to be vaccinated against COVID-19. Can it legally do that? That is the question that leads off today's show. Rutgers is based in the state of New Jersey.

It's a large school. It has three main campuses and enrolls more than 70,000 students in all and it's one of the first American universities to announce that most of those students will need a coronavirus vaccine come Fall semester. There are exceptions to this rule.

Rutgers says students can request an exemption, permission to attend without getting the vaccine, for religious or medical reasons and the rule won't apply at all to students who attend online without actually setting foot on Rutgers campuses.

But the rest of those who do will have to show proof they've been vaccinated. At this point Rutgers faculty is not required to get the vaccines though they are strongly encouraged to do so. Everyone on campus still has to participate in Rutgers COVID testing programs and everyone is still required to wear masks and keep their distance from one another on campus.

The university says the decisions are in support of its commitment to health and safety for all members of its community but it is a change from earlier this year when a senior chancellor said that in line with Rutgers stance on protecting human liberties, the vaccine was not mandatory. Most colleges require students to have certain vaccines before they can attend classes.

What's different about the coronavirus vaccines is that they haven't been formally approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The three vaccines that Americans can get are authorized for emergency use. And the FDA says people have to be informed that they may either accept or refuse the drugs.

That's where experts say it's not clear if Rutgers or any organization can legally require people to be vaccinated. Some say that people's choice whether or not to get a vaccine needs to be protected. Others say that courts will probably side with employers or states that require the vaccine but that it's been argued in the past that the drugs are still experimental and should not be required. So there's a lot of uncertainty about the future of coronavirus vaccine requirements on or off campus.

VOCABULARY

1. lead off : to start sth. 开始（某事）。例如：Who would like to lead off the debate? 谁愿带头发言开始辩论？

2. exemption n. exemption (from sth.) official permission not to do sth. or pay sth. that you would normally have to do or pay 免除；豁免。

例如：She was given exemption from the final examination. 她已获准期末免试。

3. set foot on: 进入，踏入

4. mandatory adj. (formal) required by law 强制的；法定的；义务的。（同义词）compulsory

例如：It is mandatory for blood banks to test all donated blood for the virus. 血库必须检查所有捐献的血是否含有这种病毒。

5. side with: 支持

QUESTIONS

Read the statements. Then listen to the news and decide whether the statements are true (T) or false (F).

1. Rutgers University is the first American university to announce that most of those students will need a coronavirus vaccine this fall semester.

2. Rutgers says students can request permission to attend university without getting the vaccine for religious or medical reasons.

3. The rule applies to students who attend online without actually setting foot on Rutgers campuses.

4. Everyone on Rutgers campus is still required to wear masks and keep their distance from one another off campus.

5. There's a lot of uncertainty about the future of coronavirus vaccine requirements on or off campus.

KEY

Read the statements. Then listen to the news and decide whether the statements are true (T) or false (F).

(F) 1. Rutgers University is the first American university to announce that most of those students will need a coronavirus vaccine this fall semester.（正确表达）Rutgers University is one of the first American universities to announce that most of those students will need a coronavirus vaccine this fall semester.

(T) 2. Rutgers says students can request permission to attend university without getting the vaccine for religious or medical reasons.

(F) 3. The rule applies to students who attend online without actually setting foot on Rutgers campuses.（正确表达）The rule won't apply to students who attend online without actually setting foot on Rutgers campuses.

(F) 4. Everyone on Rutgers campus is still required to wear masks and keep their distance from one another off campus. （正确表达）Everyone on Rutgers campus is still required to wear masks and keep their distance from one another on campus.

(T) 5. There's a lot of uncertainty about the future of coronavirus vaccine requirements on or off campus.

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