As long as vaccinated individuals are able to transmit and spread the COVID 19 virus, everyone should be treated with fairness and equality at The Savannah College of Art and Design; both for testing and mandated masks. For example, a vaccinated individual who tests positive for the virus and can spread to another vaccinated/unvaccinated individual should be quarantined. Especially as the effectiveness of one dose of vaccine is 30.7% for delta variant and 48.5% for alpha variant. If a vaccinated student is not required to test, how can we identify who is spreading it? If we claim that those individuals are not able to spread the virus, we are ignoring the reason for the urgent request given by the CDC to require masks regardless of vaccination status. Why are vaccinated students required to wear masks but not tested? In addition, the COVID vaccine does not at 100 percent protect an individual from the delta variant. Vaccinated individuals should be mandated to test weekly to help keep the safety of the SCAD community.

SCAD is known for its diversity and self-expression. In such uncertain times, students who choose not the get the vaccine should always feel protected by their right of choice. We cannot ignore the individuals who are concerned about the life-altering effects of the rushed COVID vaccine. This is indeed an experiment that needs approximately 10-15 years of testing just as most vaccines in history. Young, healthy students who have proven to fend off the virus with their strong immune systems should not be forced to endure risk. Just as in any medical trial, there are always side effects. Some side-effects include and are not limited to functional neurological disorder, heart problems, and even death. Although we are aware that correlation does not imply causation, students should never feel uneasy and uncomfortable about their decision. Both vaccinated and unvaccinated students should feel safe and protected by the community. 

With the safety of the SCAD community at heart, we understand that testing all students, both vaccinated and unvaccinated can be tedious. There are more efficient ways of getting the prevalence of the COVID infection. David E Bloom wrote a paper in the Boston Globe on using a percentage of the population to determine the prevalence of COVID infection within a 1.5% error. This is excellent as we can project an outbreak of the virus without testing every student. This sampling approach reduces the weekly inconvenience caused to thousands of students.

In conclusion, there are many coherent ways to tackle the challenges of the COVID 19 pandemic while allowing each and every student to feel protected to their right of choice, health, and safety. We trust that SCAD will always implement methods that align with its core values and support this vision.