Colleges Grapple with Rising Measles Cases, Vaccine Policies

Outbreaks on campuses prompt debate over vaccination requirements and disclosure

Feb. 24, 2026 at 6:31pm

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As measles cases rise across the U.S., colleges and universities are facing challenges in managing vaccine policies for students. While some schools like the University of Wisconsin-Madison are now requiring students to disclose their vaccination status, there is no nationwide standard, and many institutions struggle with legal and political barriers to implementing stricter vaccine requirements.

Why it matters

The spread of measles on college campuses is concerning, as these environments can facilitate rapid transmission of the highly contagious virus. However, mandating vaccinations faces resistance from those skeptical of vaccine safety and effectiveness. This puts colleges in a difficult position, needing to balance public health with individual rights.

The details

The U.S. officially eliminated measles in 2000, but recent outbreaks have put the country at risk of losing that status. As of last Thursday, there have been around 910 confirmed measles cases affecting nearly half of states. Colleges like Ave Maria University in Florida are experiencing large outbreaks, with over 45 confirmed cases and nearly 60 students in quarantine. While 34 states have laws regarding vaccine requirements for universities, many also allow medical, religious, or personal exemptions. Experts say high vaccination rates are crucial for herd immunity, but the political climate makes compulsory vaccination policies challenging.

  • The U.S. officially eliminated measles in 2000.
  • As of last Thursday, around 910 confirmed measles cases have been reported across the country.
  • In the 2023-24 school year, fewer than 93% of kindergarteners had all state-required vaccines, down from 95% in 2019-20.

The players

University of Wisconsin-Madison

A university that recently announced it will require students to disclose their vaccination status for several diseases, including measles, in response to a measles case on campus.

Lawrence Gostin

A professor of global health law at Georgetown Law who says colleges and universities should be increasing vigilance of vaccine status among students, faculty, and staff.

Kelly Moore

The CEO and president of immunize.org, who warns that schools that don't thoroughly check vaccination records could face difficulties if measles spreads on campus.

JoLynn Montgomery

The chair of the American College Health Association's Vaccine-Preventable Diseases Committee, who emphasizes the importance of college health centers being trusted sources of vaccine information.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

The secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, who has been skeptical of vaccines but did encourage parents to get the measles vaccine during a Texas outbreak.

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What they’re saying

“Colleges and Universities in America are caught in a legal and political dilemma. Given the rapid rise of vaccine-preventable diseases including measles, colleges and universities should be increasing their vigilance of vaccine status among students, faculty, and staff.”

— Lawrence Gostin, Professor of global health law at Georgetown Law (The Hill)

“Schools that take shortcuts for the near term to just assume that students who went to school in a state that required those vaccines — but they don't check those records — could find themselves in a very difficult position, with a huge amount of work, uncertainty and fear and concern on their campus when measles walks onto the campus. So, preparing now can save them a huge amount of work and heartache and stress later.”

— Kelly Moore, CEO and president of immunize.org (The Hill)

“What keeps campuses safest are high levels of vaccines and whether it's through requirements or encouragement … people don't really want to be told what they have to do. They do want to make decisions, but they want to have people who they trust help them make those decisions, people who have actually had time to be informed on the topic.”

— JoLynn Montgomery, Chair of the American College Health Association's Vaccine-Preventable Diseases Committee (The Hill)

“The health secretary has been equivocal at best about the safety and effectiveness of vaccines. At the same time, courts are pushing for broad religious exemptions to vaccine requirements. The legal and political momentum is decidedly against compulsory vaccinations. That is a recipe for the continued unchecked spread of measles and other highly preventable infectious diseases.”

— Lawrence Gostin, Professor of global health law at Georgetown Law (The Hill)

What’s next

The University of Wisconsin-Madison's new policy requiring students to disclose their vaccination status will be closely watched, and other schools may follow suit if the measles outbreak continues to spread on college campuses.

The takeaway

The resurgence of measles on college campuses highlights the complex challenges universities face in balancing public health concerns with individual rights and political realities. Experts warn that without high vaccination rates, these environments remain vulnerable to the rapid spread of this highly contagious disease.