Alabama should require a vaccine to attend Crimson Tide football games

Considering Alabama’s soaring COVID-19 numbers, the Crimson Tide should require vaccinations for fans who want to watch games at Bryant-Denny Stadium.

If you thought the COVID-19 pandemic’s potential to impact college football was in the rearview mirror, think again. The Delta variant is wreaking havoc on states around the U.S. and college football programs should be on high alert.

Alabama football must take particular notice with the Yellowhammer State being hit by one of their worst outbreaks of the pandemic.

The Crimson Tide should take action and require proof of vaccination to attend games at Bryant-Denny Stadium this season.

Alabama should require the vaccine to attend Crimson Tide games in 2021

All but two counties in Alabama have a “high” transmission level, while no county in the state has more than 37.5 percent of the population vaccinated.

COVID-19 patients are straining hospitals to their limit and creating a public health crisis. It won’t get better until a greater percentage of the population is vaccinated. It certainly won’t ease if 100,000 people turn up to Bryant-Denny Stadium for the season opener against Mercer on Sept. 11 and more than 70 percent of them are unvaccinated.

While skepticism of the vaccine persists, it is proven effective in preventing hospitalizations. Even if a vaccinated person gets the coronavirus, they’re far less likely to strain the health care system since they tend to experience more minor symptoms.

Taking pressure off hospitals is essential—the fewer COVID-19 cases they have to deal with, the better.

Requiring vaccines at the stadium would solve two problems. First, it would incentivize Crimson Tide fans to get vaccinated.

Nick Saban has already done a PSA encouraging people to get vaccinated, while the football team is more than 90 percent vaccinated.

If attending games this fall is at stake, more fans might be willing to endure the shot.

Second, requiring the vaccine to watch games at Bryant-Denny will allow Alabama to go forward with full capacity crowds for the coming season despite the worrying trends related to the Delta variant.

It’s a no-brainer. It’s not about infringing on anyone’s personal freedom. It’s about making sure the fans and the communities in which they live are safe and healthy.

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