As colleges and universities prepare to welcome students to campus this fall, the American College Health Association (ACHA) reaffirms its longstanding support for vaccination as a safe and effective strategy for protecting the health of individual students and campus communities.
Recent discussions about changes to federal childhood and adolescent vaccine recommendations have prompted questions about vaccination guidance and their implications for college health. ACHA remains committed to recommendations grounded in current scientific evidence, and the expertise of health and public health professionals.
College students experience a unique set of factors that can increase their risk for vaccine-preventable diseases, including living in congregate settings, participating in large social networks and gatherings, and frequent travel. Maintaining high vaccination coverage among college students is an essential component of preventing outbreaks, protecting individual and community health, and supporting students’ ability to remain healthy and engaged in their education.
ACHA encourages colleges and universities to continue following its Immunization Recommendations for College Students, which provide evidence-based guidance for comprehensive campus immunization programs, including vaccine access, education, series completion and catch-up vaccination, and outbreak prevention and response.
ACHA will continue to monitor developments in vaccine policy and public health guidance and provide college health professionals with evidence-based information and resources to support informed decision-making and healthy campus communities.
Read ACHA’s Immunization Recommendations for College Students
Read ACHA’s Position Statement on Vaccine Use to Promote Health and Prevent Disease
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