A growing number of colleges and universities are requiring students to be vaccinated against COVID-19 in order to attend college this fall. More than 200 colleges across the country have made COVID vaccinations an official requirement for the Fall 2021 semester, including Rutgers University, Notre Dame, Cornell College and Duke. It’s a unique case for colleges who, while requiring students to have certain immunizations in the past, have not faced a challenge quite like COVID.

A vaccinated student population will help schools keep infection rates down and make campus a safer place. But can colleges and universities legally require their students to take a COVID vaccine? Yes, they can; it’s not unlike how schools require their students be vaccinated against common diseases like chicken pox, mumps and meningitis. Other organizations in the higher education space are supportive of the policy. The American College Health Association recently released a statement recommending that, where possible, colleges should enforce COVID vaccine requirements.

Currently, vaccine requirements seem to be popular with students. A college survey from January 2021 finds that seven in ten college students approve of colleges requiring COVID vaccinations. It’s not surprising that a majority of students support vaccines, as vaccination may be the ticket to a normal campus life, one free from social distancing, regular COVID testing and masks.

What do you think about colleges requiring COVID vaccines for the Fall 2021 semester? Have you gotten a COVID vaccine yet, or are you scheduled for one? As always, let us know in the comments.

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