Higher education associations in the US are asking the US government to let international students and scholars with limited access to WHO-approved Covid vaccines enter the country.
This came after the White House and Centres for Disease Control and Prevention announced that international arrivals fully vaccinated against Covid-19 would be allowed to enter the US from November 8.
Following this, concerns that such a broad policy would also impact international students and scholars from countries where WHO-approved vaccines are not available. The organisations are appealing to let such students have access to vaccines upon arrival in the US.
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A total of 38 organisations joined the American Council on Education to write to the White House and CDC regarding the same.
The letter said that they applaud the announcement that assured greater flexibility and safety for international travellers. However, this restricted certain travellers from countries where WHO-approved vaccines are not available.
Earlier, a National Interest Exemption has allowed entry of those with F-1 or J-1 visas during the pandemic, while travel restrictions remained for others.
These organisations are worried that unvaccinated travellers will be restricted from entering the US under the new policy. They have further asked the authorities to clarify whether exceptions will let students from other countries arrive.
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Schools such as Yale and Princeton are currently asking international students who are unable to obtain a Food and Drug Administration- or WHO-authorised vaccine before leaving their home country, to get vaccinated on arrival in the US.
Other universities such as American University in Washington DC have announced that those students vaccinated with unauthorised vaccines will be considered unvaccinated. They will have to undergo a vaccination series in the US upon arrival.
Source:The PIE News
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