As students around the country returned to school again, college students faced a dilemma: Should they receive the COVID-19 vaccine or drop out? A vaccine mandate in colleges is not a good idea.

Students who do not want to get vaccinated should not have to forfeit their college education because of a mandate, and students who have already been going to a college or university for multiple years should not have to drop out just because they do not want to be vaccinated. A college education is necessary for most jobs, and high-paying jobs often require a college degree. Setting someone up for failure just because they do not wish to receive a vaccine borders on tyrannical.

Students of the college age do not need a vaccine, because children and young adults who contract COVID-19 are often not seriously affected, as they are “a healthy and immunologically competent and vibrant group,” according to the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons (AAPS) website.  And, people with the vaccine can still contract COVID-19, thanks to the Delta variant, so a vaccine mandate will not necessarily decrease COVID rates by a substantial amount in colleges and universities. 

Those arguing for a vaccine mandate claim that there is no reason that someone shouldn’t want the vaccine, since it is approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). However, the FDA has made mistakes in the past. According to the FDA website, there have been 5,195 FDA product recalls this year alone, with 788 of those being a Class I recall, meaning the product could cause serious health problems or death. 

Another reason to argue against a vaccine mandate is for the benefit of the female students. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that all cases of thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS) after receiving the Janssen vaccine occurred in women. While it is rare, the condition is severe, causing blood clots with a low platelet count. Also, the majority of anaphylaxis cases after vaccination have occurred in women (CDC). According to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) 141 miscarriages occurred in women after receiving COVID-19 vaccines, and hundreds of women reported changes in their menstrual cycles.

Other serious negative health effects associated with COVID-19 vaccinations are Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS), and myocarditis and pericarditis, which have mostly been reported in male adolescents and young adults, according to the CDC. 

Some religions have issues with their members receiving vaccinations, so a mandate should not occur unless colleges plan to allow students of these religions to be exempt from COVID-19 immunization.

Receiving a COVID vaccination should be a choice for college students, not a requirement. The US has been a symbol of liberty for years, and that should not change now.