COVID-19 and Future Pandemics: How International Students Stay Healthy in 2025-2026

International students moving to the United States, United Kingdom, or Australia in 2025-2026 face a different health environment from the one COVID-19 created in 2020. The WHO Pandemic Agreement adopted on 20 May 2025 at the 78th World Health Assembly now governs how countries share vaccines, diagnostics, and information during future outbreaks. The United States is also in the middle of its largest measles outbreak in three decades, which has changed what your campus expects from you on day one.

This guide covers the insurance you must buy, the vaccines you must show, the mental-health burden international students faced during COVID-19, and the steps to take before each new outbreak.

What COVID-19 Changed for International Students

The 2025 Pandemic Agreement was the direct response to the inequities exposed during COVID-19. The WHO states the agreement creates frameworks to increase "equitable access to pandemic-related health products including vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics."

A Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing Annex is still being finalized by an Intergovernmental Working Group before Member States sign. For students, the practical effect should be faster access to future pandemic vaccines and tests in study destinations compared with 2020 and 2021.

Routine COVID-19 testing and quarantine on arrival have ended at the major study destinations. The current focus has shifted to keeping your routine vaccinations current and your insurance active from your first day on campus.

Mandatory Health Insurance by Destination

Every major destination requires proof of cover before you enroll or activate your visa. The cost, payment timing, and coverage differ by country.

United Kingdom: Immigration Health Surcharge

You pay the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) as part of your student visa application, before the Home Office processes it. GOV.UK lists the student rate at 776 GBP per year, with 388 GBP for a part-year of six months or less.

A two-year visa costs 1,552 GBP up front. After paying, you have the same access to the National Health Service as a UK resident for the length of your visa.

Australia: Overseas Student Health Cover

The Department of Health and Aged Care requires OSHC for the entire duration of your Subclass 500 student visa. You must buy it before you arrive and keep it active throughout your course.

Single-student basic OSHC runs from 478 to around 600 AUD per year in 2025, with family cover ranging from 2,500 to 5,000 AUD per year. Six insurers are approved: ahm OSHC, Allianz Care Australia (Peoplecare), BUPA Australia, CBHS International Health, Medibank Private, and NIB OSHC.

OSHC covers GP visits, hospital treatment, ambulance, and limited pharmaceuticals. Dental, optical, and physiotherapy sit outside the basic plan and need an Extras policy.

United States: Student Health Insurance Plans

US universities set their own rules, and many large institutions, including NYU, USC, and Cornell, automatically enroll F-1 and J-1 students in a Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) at registration. Annual SHIP premiums fall between 1,200 USD and 2,500 USD per year depending on the school.

A waiver lets you opt out if your private plan meets the school's coverage minimums for inpatient, outpatient, prescription, and mental-health benefits. Universities including Arizona State publish the exact waiver criteria and deadlines on their international-student pages.

US Campus Vaccination Requirements in 2025-2026

Outbreaks have pushed US universities to enforce immunization records more strictly than in the pre-pandemic period. The CDC reports 2,288 confirmed measles cases in 45 jurisdictions in 2025 and 1,893 cases in 40 jurisdictions by 14 May 2026, with 93 percent of confirmed 2026 cases tied to outbreaks.

The American College Health Association reports around 90 percent of susceptible close contacts become infected after measles exposure, and campuses combine dense housing with international travel into measles-endemic regions. ACHA advises institutions to enforce immunization requirements and maintain catch-up vaccination on campus.

Vaccines Schools Most Commonly Require

Most US universities, including UCLA and Indiana University Indianapolis , require the following before your first semester:

The MMR rate among US kindergarten students was 92.5 percent in 2024-25, down from 95.2 percent pre-pandemic . The gap is one reason campus outbreaks have hit universities in Florida, South Carolina, Utah, and Arizona.

What the CDC Tells Students to Do

The CDC's Studying Abroad page , last reviewed 31 January 2025, tells students to book a healthcare appointment at least 4 to 6 weeks before departure, carry an official immunization record, and pack a mask in the travel health kit.

International Students Faced Higher Mental Health Risks During COVID-19

A longitudinal study published in 2023 in Psychology Research and Behavior Management tracked 470 international students in China before the pandemic and 420 students after. Mental-health scores dropped from a mean of 51.41 pre-pandemic to 33.21 post-pandemic, anxiety rose from 16.96 to 19.46, and depression edged up from 14.07 to 14.65.

A South Korea study published in MDPI in 2021 found prevalence rates of 47.1 percent for sleep problems, 39.6 percent for anxiety, and 49 percent for depression among international students during COVID-19. These rates were higher than those reported by domestic students in the same period.

What Students Asked Online

A 2025 PMC study analyzed 8,006 posts and 33,981 comments on the r/f1visa subreddit from August 2015 to December 2022. Post volume jumped from 534 pre-COVID to 7,472 during COVID, with members shifting from career and visa questions to travel restrictions, financial struggles, and funding concerns.

Twenty percent of pandemic-era questions on the subreddit went unanswered, the researchers found. The data point to gaps in peer-driven information channels, while campus international student offices and university counseling services remained the primary support routes.

Build Your Own Pandemic-Preparedness Plan

Treat your health setup as part of pre-departure logistics, alongside visa, housing, and banking. Shared-dorm density was a recurring challenge for campus isolation protocols during the 2020 and 2021 academic years, which is one reason single-room and off-campus options factor into outbreak planning.

Before You Travel

1. Book your travel health appointment 4 to 6 weeks before departure, per CDC guidance
2. Get any missing MMR, Varicella, Tdap, or Meningococcal doses
3. Request a digitally signed copy of your full immunization record
4. Pay the IHS, buy OSHC, or confirm your US SHIP enrollment before your visa application
5. Save the WHO outbreak news page and your destination's public-health hotline

After You Arrive

• Register with the university student health center in your first week
• Add yourself to your local GP practice (UK) or activate your OSHC card (Australia)
• Confirm your insurance covers mental-health visits and telehealth
• Follow university public-health alerts for measles, flu, and other outbreaks
• Keep a 30-day buffer of any prescription medicine

If a New Outbreak Starts

The Pandemic Agreement reflects the lessons of 2020 to 2022: vaccine and test access varies by country, even with WHO coordination. Track guidance from the CDC, the UK Health Security Agency, and the Australian Department of Health rather than social media first. Your university health service will publish campus-specific protocols, and your insurance scheme will confirm whether outbreak-related testing and treatment are covered before you book a private appointment.

Sources

• GOV.UK: Pay for UK healthcare as part of your immigration application
• Study Australia: Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC)
• CDC: Studying Abroad, Travelers' Health
• CDC: Measles Cases and Outbreaks
• ACHA: Measles Outbreaks on College Campuses
• WHO: Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response Accord Q&A
• UCLA: International Student Immunization Requirements
• Indiana University Indianapolis: Vaccination Requirements for International Students
• Arizona State University: International Student Health Requirements
• PMC: Pre- and Post-Pandemic Mental Health of International Students
• PMC: Factors Associated with Mental Health among International Students during COVID-19 in South Korea
• PMC: Online Information Seeking Behavior of International Students in the United States on Reddit