On Wednesday, Sept. 3, Florida Surgeon General Dr. Joseph A. Ladapo and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced plans to end all vaccine mandates across the state. It’s unclear what the process to roll back these mandates will look like, or how long it would take, but if it goes through, that would mean people in the state of Florida would no longer be required to get vaccines that protect against illnesses such as measles, rubella, chickenpox, or hepatitis B — including kids in school.
While those in favor of this decision are celebrating the opportunity for parents to have more say in what vaccines their children receive and when they receive them, those who oppose it are citing concerns about the increased probability of outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases. But what about the longer-term effects that may occur if Florida indeed rolls back vaccine mandates?
Well, for one, Floridian students who don’t get vaccinated may have a much tougher time getting into the college of their choice — and even students who do get vaccinated may have to navigate new challenges in the years to come.
The current healthcare landscape across the United States is changing, due in large part to the current administrations stances on things like vaccines. So, here’s what current and future college students might want to keep an eye on going forward.
The Majority Of Universities Currently Require Students To Be Vaccinated
As of September 2025, at least 34 states require vaccinations for students attending the colleges and universities in their respective jurisdictions. That means if a student dreams of attending a school in a state where vaccines are required for in-person attendance, their admission chances could be in jeopardy. Some individual schools also have their own vaccination requirements, which could further limit an unvaccinated person’s options. (Of course, many universities offer exemptions for students based on religious or medical reasons, but they typically require proof of the need for an exemption.)
Some believe Florida could lead the way for other states to eliminate vaccine mandates, but it’s likely that many states will hold onto their requirements for as long as they can, in accordance with evidence-based public health guidelines that have been around for decades. As this issue continues to evolve, consider it one more thing students will need to keep in mind when figuring out which schools they’re able to apply to.
College Is A Hotbed For The Spread Of Illnesses
Anyone who’s lived on a college campus knows how easy it is for illness to spread. Someone coughs behind you in lecture. Then, you wake up with a scratchy throat and a semester-long hoarse voice that your mom hears at Parents Weekend and makes you finally go to the student clinic. Sound familiar? Often, the culprit is just the common cold, a typically non-threatening yet inconvenient infection that science has yet to develop a vaccination for. But if it’s something more serious like influenza or meningitis, you might not bounce back quite so easily. Luckily, there are vaccines to help prevent or slow the spread of these illnesses.
But if more states do, in fact, follow in Florida’s footsteps and vaccine requirements become less common across the country, colleges and universities could be looking at an unprecedented rate of unvaccinated students joining their campuses in the coming years — which is not only a personal and public health concern, but could also have an impact on students’ mental health and academic success.
For example, according to the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases, “students who live on campus are at greater risk of contracting flu, which can significantly impact student life with missed classes and social events, and can lead to severe complications, including death.” Other vaccine-preventable diseases that could become more common on college campuses include measles, mumps, rubella, and meningitis.
How To Learn More About College Vaccine Requirements
If the news coming out of Florida has you concerned or curious, there are many resources available to help you learn more. The National Conference of State Legislatures has a record of vaccine-related legislation across each state. There, parents, students, and prospective students can check whether there are mandates in place at their current or potential school that require immunization, and exactly which vaccine is required. Currently-enrolled students can also confirm their college’s vaccine requirements through their school’s official website. Typically, these immunization requirements are listed on a Health Services page, under sections with names like Immunization Requirements or New Student Information. Be sure to stay updated on any vaccine-related updates in your state or at your school, as they may change in the coming years.