College COVID-19 Vaccine Requirements: Legal Issues to Consider

A growing number of colleges and universities have announced they will require students, faculty, and/or staff to receive a COVID-19 vaccine as a prerequisite for attending the institution for the 2021-2022 academic year.[1] Higher education institutions that have announced such plans include public universities such as the University of California and California State systems and private colleges such as Georgetown and Yale. Vaccine requirements are already ubiquitous in higher education[2], however, colleges and universities should be aware of important issues to consider when deciding whether and how to mandate COVID-19 vaccination. Counsel for an anti-vaccine group, the Informed Consent Action Group, has already sent Rutgers, the first university to announce such plans, a formal letter asking the school to rescind the requirement.[3] While such requirements are likely to be upheld, legal challenges appear inevitable.

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© 2026 Jenner & Block LLP. Attorney Advertising. Jenner & Block LLP is an Illinois Limited Liability Partnership including professional corporations. This publication, presentation, or event is not intended to provide legal advice but to provide information on legal matters and/or firm news of interest to our clients and colleagues. Readers or attendees should seek specific legal advice before taking any action with respect to matters mentioned in this publication or at this event. The attorney responsible for this communication is Brent E. Kidwell, Jenner & Block LLP, 353 N. Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60654-3456. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Jenner & Block London LLP, an affiliate of Jenner & Block LLP, is a limited liability partnership established under the laws of the State of Delaware, USA and is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority with SRA number 615729. Information regarding the data we collect and the rights you have over your data can be found in our Privacy Notice. For further inquiries, please contact dataprotection@jenner.com.

College COVID-19 Vaccine Requirements: Legal Issues to Consider

A growing number of colleges and universities have announced they will require students, faculty, and/or staff to receive a COVID-19 vaccine as a prerequisite for attending the institution for the 2021-2022 academic year.[1] Higher education institutions that have announced such plans include public universities such as the University of California and California State systems and private colleges such as Georgetown and Yale. Vaccine requirements are already ubiquitous in higher education[2], however, colleges and universities should be aware of important issues to consider when deciding whether and how to mandate COVID-19 vaccination. Counsel for an anti-vaccine group, the Informed Consent Action Group, has already sent Rutgers, the first university to announce such plans, a formal letter asking the school to rescind the requirement.[3] While such requirements are likely to be upheld, legal challenges appear inevitable.

To read the full alert, please click here

Related Attorneys

Related Capabilities

Related Locations

© 2026 Jenner & Block LLP. Attorney Advertising. Jenner & Block LLP is an Illinois Limited Liability Partnership including professional corporations. This publication, presentation, or event is not intended to provide legal advice but to provide information on legal matters and/or firm news of interest to our clients and colleagues. Readers or attendees should seek specific legal advice before taking any action with respect to matters mentioned in this publication or at this event. The attorney responsible for this communication is Brent E. Kidwell, Jenner & Block LLP, 353 N. Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60654-3456. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Jenner & Block London LLP, an affiliate of Jenner & Block LLP, is a limited liability partnership established under the laws of the State of Delaware, USA and is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority with SRA number 615729. Information regarding the data we collect and the rights you have over your data can be found in our Privacy Notice. For further inquiries, please contact dataprotection@jenner.com.

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