Students at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and a number of Western Massachusetts private colleges will be required to be vaccinated for COVID-19 before the start of the fall semester. Other public and private colleges and universities are watching trends, monitoring government requirements and weighing options before declaring whether vaccination will be simply encouraged — as all schools are doing — or mandatory. 

“The current stance is that AIC is encouraging, but not requiring, the vaccine for the fall,” American International College dean of students Matthew Scott said. “This is evolving, and as vaccines become more widely available and move from emergency use authorization to full authorization, we may reconsider.” The full article, including details relative to vaccine requirements from area colleges and universities, can be found on MassLive.