Fordham’s COVID booster requirement — one of strictest in nation — sparks outrage, legal action

Fordham University’s new COVID-19 booster shot requirement has sparked outrage on campus — even prompting some students to pursue legal action against the school, their attorney told The Post.

The Jesuit university’s policy — one of the strictest in the country — went into effect Tuesday, and applies to all staff, students and visitors.

It is one of just a handful of colleges nationwide to require the fourth dose, citing guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Students and faculty were allowed to apply for medical or religious exemptions until last Friday.

“If all of America was getting this (booster), and every school in America was doing this, then it would be different,” said Zachary Visconti, a sophomore who was granted an exemption on religious grounds.

“But it’s not the norm — a lot of the world has gotten back to normal,” Visconti said.

“In the event of an outbreak, you can be excluded from campus, from classes, from dining halls. And they say it’s for your own safety,” said the student, adding he’s not against vaccines overall.

In response to the new policy, a group of Fordham Law School students plan on filing a lawsuit in the Bronx Supreme Court, their attorney James Mermigis told The Post on Tuesday.

Some faculty and staff also covered by the mandate have tried to delay compliance by filing for exemptions.

“There’s so many of us who filed that they had to push the deadline back to last Friday,” said Virginia Ungaro, a veteran staffer of 17 years who works in admissions and financial aid.

Advocates and university officials estimated there are roughly 20 campuses across the country requiring another dose so far, among them Harvard, Yale, Tufts, Smith College and parts of the University of California system.

Families reported that the line to get boosted on campus Monday was close to two hours long — smack in the middle of midterms season, and ran out of the Pfizer booster.

“I think to have a mandate put in place in the middle of a semester is terrible,” said mom Robyn Bailey, whose daughter, a freshman on the Bronx campus, got the fourth jab the day before the mandate went into effect.

“She feels so much stress and anxiety,” Bailey said about her daughter. “She’s like, I can’t keep holding off — I can’t be stuck not going to class. This was extremely upsetting to her.”

Another parent of a freshman, David Betten, said his son will not be getting the next dose — and there is “no plan B at the moment” if the school cracks down on noncompliance.

“They say they want to protect those at the school, but unfortunately we’ve seen these shots don’t stop transmission or from getting COVID. So I don’t understand why there isn’t a choice,” said Betten.

University officials said the policy aligns with the institution’s Jesuit principles of supporting others.

“The vaccine isn’t just about the needs of individuals, but about the community,” said spokesperson Bob Howe. “Being fully vaccinated and boosted helps protect students, faculty and staff — some of whom are more vulnerable to COVID-19 because of age or their individual medical histories.”

“We strongly suspect other institutions will be revisiting their vaccination policies this fall, if they have not done so already,” Howe added.