Since 2015, A Voice for Choice Advocacy has been at the forefront if advocating to ensure students and employees at California’s public colleges and universities are not mandated to receive vaccines – giving testimony at Board meetings, writing legal position letters, sending petitions that resulted in a Cease and Desist letter and change in policy from the University of California, as well as helping thousands of students and employees successfully navigate the changing vaccine policies and file exemptions.
If you need help writing a religious exemption for vaccines, please refer to AVFCA’s Religious Exemption Writing workshop: https://avoiceforchoiceadvocacy.org/avfca-religious-exemption-writing-workshop/
Below outlines the history and current vaccine requirements for California’s colleges and universities:
California State University (CSU)
From Fall 2002 until April 2019, California State University had Executive Order 803 that required students to be vaccinated for measles, rubella and hepatitis B, with the option of a medical, personal belief and religious exemption, in order to enroll.
In April 2019, CSU updated this Executive Order 803 to require vaccines for measles, mumps, rubella, hepatitis B, varicella, tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis and meningococcal in order to enroll, as well as removed the personal belief and religious belief exemptions, leaving only a medical exemption.
In February 2023, CSU again updated Executive Order 803, removing their overarching non-COVID and COVID vaccination policies, allowing individual CSU campuses to implement their own vaccine policy, but allowing for medical and religious belief exemptions.
In March 2023, the California Faculty Association (CFA) raised concerns with the removal of non-COVID vaccine requirements, as well as the removal of the COVID vaccine requirements. This was followed by the CFA filing an unfair practice charge with the Public Employment Relations Board (PERB) stating the change in policy should not have been made without input from the CFA and bargaining. In August 2024, the court ruled and so presently the implemented CSU vaccine policy from 2023 remains in effect, with medical and religious exemptions allowed.
Therefore if you attend or are considering attending a California State University, you will need to go to each individual campus’ website and search for their vaccination and exemption policy, as each have unique requirements/exemptions.
University of California (UC)
Prior to 2016, the University of California did not have any vaccine requirements for students to attend.
In 2016, UC created a new UC Student Immunization Policy that required vaccines for measles, mumps, rubella, varicella, tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis and meningococcal in order for students to enroll, with only a medical exemption or titer antibody serum testing allowed in lieu of vaccination. This policy went into effect with the 2018-19 school year.
In 2020, UC added a flu vaccine requirement for both students and employees and in 2021 a COVID vaccine requirement. Initially these only allowed for a medical exemption for students, but after AVFCA created a UC Discrimination Campaign, the policy was updated to include religious exemptions, giving employees and students equal rights for these two vaccines.
In 2022, UC updated their Policy on Vaccination Programs to incorporate an overarching vaccine policy which included medical and religious exemptions for “Mandated Programs” for both employees and students. However, the UC Student Immunization Policy (requiring vaccines for measles, mumps, rubella, varicella, tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis and meningococcal, with only a medical exemption or titer antibody serum testing allowed in lieu of vaccination) was still in effect, resulting in inconsistent exemption options for students with religious beliefs. Students could submit religious belief exemptions for the flu and COVID vaccines, but not the other required vaccines. This updated policy also added the ability to decline vaccinations for “Opt-Out Programs”.
In May 2023, UC again updated their Policy on Vaccinations Programs to change the flu and COVID vaccine requirements to Opt-Out Programs, allowing students and employees to sign a form declining them.
In June 2024, UC again updated their Policy on Vaccination Programs by integrating the UC Student Immunization Policy into it. Interim Program Attachments were added for measles, mumps, rubella, varicella, tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis and meningococcal vaccines, which all specifically allow for medical, religious and disability exemptions, starting January 1, 2025.
Therefore if you attend or are considering attending the University of California, you will not be required to be vaccinated if you have medical reasons, sincere religious beliefs, or a disability that prevents you from being vaccinated.
California Community Colleges (CCC)
Prior to 2021, California Community Colleges did not have any vaccine requirements for students to attend. In fact according to California Code, Health and Safety Code – HSC § 120360 the K-12 vaccine requirements “shall not apply to any person 18 years of age or older, or to any person seeking admission to a community college.”
In 2021, some of the CCCs required the COVID vaccine, but all allowed for a medical and religious exemption. This requirement has been removed since.
Therefore if you attend or are considering attending a California Community College you will not be required to be vaccinated.
Private California Colleges and Universities
All private California Colleges and Universities have vaccine requirements, but most allow for medical and religious exemptions. To find the vaccine exemption policy, enter “exemption immunization policy” into the college/university’s website search tool. If you are not able to find a university/college vaccine exemption policy email info@avoiceforchoiceadvocacy.org and AVFCA will help find the policy.
Colleges and Universities in Other States
Another organization, No College Mandates created a spreadsheet with a list of all Colleges and Universities that have/had COVID vaccine requirements: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/11BrDadiUGN-vQBe7Jolcb_-aWhLT7S2AkWOkSX49M40/edit#gid=1651619216
This does not include other vaccine requirements. Similar to California, but universities and colleges in other states require vaccines, but allow for medical and religious exemptions. To find the vaccine exemption policy, enter “exemption immunization policy” into the college/university’s website search tool. If you are not able to find a university/college vaccine exemption policy email info@avoiceforchoiceadvocacy.org and AVFCA will help find the policy.