According to a survey by Intelligent.com, one in five college students in the US say they would transfer to an institution with no vaccine requirement if their current school mandates them.
With an increasing number of universities requiring students to be vaccinated for the fall semester, the online magazine polled 1,250 current students to determine how they feel about school vaccination policies.
Beyond the 20 percent of students who say they would transfer, six percent said they will protest on campus, claim an exemption or, if necessary, even drop out. Another five percent said they would even try to obtain a fake vaccination card.
Reasons for Opposing Vaccination
Of the students opposed to vaccine mandates, 25 percent believe that getting the COVID-19 vaccine is a matter of choice. When schools mandate it, they are essentially violating an individual’s freedom.
A further 15 percent of these students say the vaccine isn’t safe, 11 percent think young people are not as vulnerable as the aged, and another 10% say the vaccine isn’t effective. Four percent say that COVID-19 is a myth.
The survey comes at a time when universities across the country are reopening for in-person classes. Faced with students opposed to mask and vaccine requirements, a number of institutions are issuing fines, blocking internet access, and even disenrolling unvaccinated students.
“Schools want to keep their students, staff, and communities safe, and avoid on-campus outbreaks. The list of schools with no vaccine mandates may not be as long as students think, warns Intelligent.com Managing Editor Kristen Scatton.
Majority Support Vaccine Mandates
An overwhelming 70 percent of students are in favor of a schools’ right to require students to get vaccinated. In fact, 30 percent want colleges to mandate vaccination without exemptions.
“Virtual classes have been a primary mode of instruction for the past year,” she says. “But for most brick-and-mortar schools, the goal of vaccinations is to return to all in-person instruction. Individual colleges will determine how many, if any, online classes they’ll offer this upcoming academic year, so students seeking this as an alternative to getting vaccinated must make sure they’ll be able to complete all their classes this way,” Scatton added.