As the COVID-19 pandemic has receded, most colleges and universities across the United States have dropped their vaccine mandates. However, as of mid-2024, 20 institutions continue to require students to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, a policy that has sparked significant controversy and criticism.
Critics argue that these mandates are unnecessary and discriminatory. Lucia Sinatra, co-founder of No College Mandates, described the policies as "unreasonable and discriminatory," suggesting they are a means of coercing students into vaccination through the inconvenience and expense of monthly testing for those who opt-out.
🚨REMINDER: None of the vaccines that the CDC recommends for routine injection in children have been approved by the FDA based on a long-term placebo-controlled study. pic.twitter.com/Arrk0CrhTl
— Dr. Simon Goddek (@goddeketal) July 23, 2024
The list of universities maintaining vaccine requirements includes institutions like the Southern University System in Louisiana and several California State University campuses. Students at these schools can opt-out through a letter of dissent or exemption form but must undergo monthly COVID testing.
Harvard University, Johns Hopkins University, and Rutgers University are among the notable institutions that have also recently relaxed their mandates. Harvard, which initially required all students to be vaccinated to register for the fall semester, walked back this requirement shortly after its announcement. This shift aligns with the broader trend of universities moving away from strict COVID-19 protocols.
WATCH: Raw footage from inside a Covid-19 vaccination clinic.
This kind of footage was hidden during the vaccine rollout.
They didn’t want you to know that the vaccinations were immediately causing people to collapse. pic.twitter.com/4fLBFf3JlC
— DiedSuddenly (@DiedSuddenly_) June 15, 2023
The persistence of these mandates has been linked to what some critics describe as "reflexive authoritarianism." Professor Todd Zywicki from George Mason University likened the continued enforcement of these mandates to "Japanese soldiers in the mountains of Okinawa thinking that World War II is still going on".
Scientific opinions also support the easing of these mandates. Dr. Paul Offit from the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia stated that COVID-19 has become similar in severity to the flu and should be treated accordingly. Recent studies have shown that natural immunity provides protection comparable to vaccine-induced immunity, further questioning the necessity of ongoing vaccine mandates.
Despite the growing opposition, the remaining universities with vaccine mandates justify their policies by emphasizing the importance of maintaining a “safe” campus environment. The University of California's policy, for instance, requires vaccination for all students, faculty, and staff, with limited exceptions for medical or religious reasons.
How much longer the university system can hold to this policy is an open question especially given what we now know about Covid and the abuses by policymakers during the acute phase.
