Presidents and Boards of Trustees, 

We want to thank you for your caring commitment to the health of all students during this unprecedented time. We ask that you continue on this path by dropping Covid 19 booster mandates beginning with the Fall 2022 semester, in light of the most recent scientific data per CDC. 

Many within the CDC and FDA have questioned the need for broad boosting of all age groups since the push began as early as July of 2021, which resulted in two heads of the FDA leaving out of protest in September (citing lack of scientific evidence to justify the decision), when policy began to roll out suggesting younger populations “may” get boosted. By November of 2021 the Omicron surge was considered by many a valid reason to move forward more aggressively. At that point, booster recommendations for healthy under 65 (the need for a third dose in 65 and older or those immunocompromised is not being questioned) were updated from “may” to “should”, however they are still not considered mandatory for full vaccination status. 

In light of recent data citing boosters provided little if any additional protection for younger healthy groups, and that any afforded was short lived (approximately 10 weeks), it is unlikely the definition of fully vaccinated will change anytime soon. Please take note that if students suffer needless adverse health effects under your mandate, while the CDC still does not require boosters to be considered fully vaccinated, this could be detrimental to your institutions. And to be clear, the known risks of peri/myocarditis,  thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome, and menstrual cycle changes after covid vaccination are not negligible in younger populations, and indeed may be underreported. We must remain humble that there is also risk of long term side effects yet to be seen.

“It is worrisome to me that anybody less than 30 is going to be getting a third dose without any clear evidence that that’s beneficial to them and with more than theoretical evidence that it could be harmful to them,” Dr. Paul Offit, FDA Advisory Board Member, Vaccinologist, and Director of the Vaccine Education Center at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia

Though it is tempting to put false hope in the prospect of additional vaccine doses protecting us greatly, we must be realistic about what science is showing us, and not take unnecessary risks with adverse reactions in younger, healthy persons if there is essentially no benefit. We can take great comfort in knowing that the initial two dose series does provide excellent sustained protection from severe disease and death through memory B & T cells, which was the only goal of the vaccine. Striving to prevent mild illness permanently, is unrealistic and will lead to a never ending series of boosters that could have a more detrimental effect on health than mild covid infection, as those such as Dr. Paul Offit have been very vocal about these last eight months. 

It is crucial that organizations such as the  CDC & FDA stay current and remain committed to actions based on scientific data, and that we follow suit, for the safety of us all. We know the situation is ever changing, and what may have seemed prudent over the winter has now been proven an unnecessary risk. While doctors and scientists are now asking the CDC to update their booster recommendations in light of the most current data on risk benefit ratio, we ask you to do the same. Moving ahead, encouraging booster doses vs. mandating or requiring burdensome testing to those with exemptions is a more responsible course of action at this juncture. This allows students to decide on an individual basis if a third vaccine dose, which provides minimal to no benefit for younger & healthy persons, is worth the risk. 

Thank you for your consideration, Ms. Young & Fellow Concerned Citizens of RI

 

https://mobile.twitter.com/MonicaGandhi9/status/1498837866222215171/photo/1

Dr. Monica Gandhi endemic plan, point #7

 

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.nytimes.com/2022/02/04/health/covid-boosters-older-younger.amp.html

Younger Americans Benefited Less From Booster Shots Than Older People

 

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.nytimes.com/2022/02/20/health/covid-cdc-data.amp.html

The C.D.C. Isn’t Publishing Large Portions of the Covid Data It Collects

 

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.inquirer.com/health/expert-opinions/covid-19-pandemic-immunity-boosters-normal-20220304.html%3foutputType=amp

Getting back to normal life means understanding what COVID-19 immunity really is

 

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.wsj.com/amp/articles/dangerous-push-to-give-boosters-to-teens-vacccine-covid-19-omicron-vaxx-requirement-mandate-11640107759

The Dangerous Push to Give Boosters to Teens: FDA and CDC experts said the plan was ill-advised, so the agencies cut them out of the decision process.

 

https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2021/12/omicron-dr-paul-offit-is-skeptical-of-boosters-for-all.html?utm_source=tw

A Skeptic’s Case Against Boosting Everyone FDA advisor Dr. Paul Offit on why he says another shot for most people is unnecessary, even with Omicron.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2021/12/16/vaccines-fda-cdc-boosters-expert-panel/

The Biden administration has been sidelining vaccine experts

 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2021/11/29/booster-shots-universal-opinion/

We don’t need universal booster shots.

 

https://insidemedicine.bulletin.com/4383235845128650/

Young men and boosters: more harm than good? New data suggest Pfizer boosters are unlikely to decrease Covid-19 hospitalizations in males under 30, but will hospitalize a few with myocarditis.

 

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.politico.com/amp/news/2021/10/06/biden-covid-experts-boosters-515175

Top Covid experts privately urge Biden admin to scale back booster campaign

 

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.businessinsider.com/2-top-fda-officials-resigned-biden-booster-plan-reports-2021-9%3famp

2 top FDA officials resigned over the Biden administration's booster-shot plan, saying it insisted on the policy before the agency approved it, reports say