COVID-19 Vaccines: A Path to Normalcy at HBCUs

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected virtually every aspect of human life. One of the hardest - hit sectors of American life has been the educational sector. Since SARS - CoV - 2 is an enormously successful pathogen, the decision to transition from in - person learning to a remote learning structure was justified and necessary. Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) were particularly economically vulnerable academic institutions during the pandemic compared to non - HBCUs, given lower enrollments and funding disparities that have existed for over a century. According to many credible reports, the messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer - BioNTech are safe and efficacious. mRNA vaccines are a departure from conventional vaccine technology that relied on attenuated or inactivated microbial pathogens. Instead, mRNA vaccines are nucleotide sequences packaged in a lipid - containing particle designed to stimulate human production of the SARS - CoV - 2 spike protein to activate human immune mechanisms to deal with future pathogenic challenges. The emergence of viable mRNA vaccines offers hope to reopen HBCUs; however, reopening must be coordinated and compliant with state and federal safety guidelines.