“I can’t fund myself so I can’t go to China,” said Claudine C. Stuchell ’04, who was planning on doing research in the interior of China, in Yunnan.

The Harvard-Yenching Institute said that it would still support its grant recipients and encouraged them to postpone their travel to China until the spring or fall of 2004.

“We will help them,” said Associate Director of the Harvard-Yenching Institute Edward J. Baker, in April.

The Institute also encouraged students to travel to alternate destinations.

Due to the University’s ban, Victor D. Ban ’04 changed his summer plans—instead of going to China to conduct research, Ban has decided to go to Korea instead.

Harvard officials say they have tried to accommodate students whose plans were derailed by the virus.

“The University has tried to help the students stuck with the moratorium by finding other ways for them to do what they need to do, such as giving them tuition wavers for summer school for the students to study languages,” said Philip A. Kuhn, chair of the east Asian studies department.

Kuhn said that he thinks Harvard acted appropriately.

“I don’t think the University had any choice,” he said. “It was unfortunate but it was the responsible response.”

Harvard Medical School Professor of Pediatrics Kenneth McIntosh ’58 said that a vaccine for SARS can be developed, but it is not likely to be available for a while, since it would have to be tested and approved.

“It will be at best a year and a half before the vaccine is available,” McIntosh said.

At its peak, the list of SARS-affected regions included China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Vietnam, Singapore and Toronto.

“Obviously a crucial balance has to be struck between the public health imperative and our tradition about being an open community,” University President Lawrence H. Summers said last week.

Summers said that if SARS is still prevalent in the fall, students returning from SARS-affected countries might have to be quarantined before moving into Harvard housing.

—Staff writer Yailett Fernandez can be reached at yfernand@fas.harvard.edu.