Background: Several public universities in Virginia had previously mandated vaccination as a condition of attendance for in-person classes.
-University of Virginia
-Virginia Tech University
-James Madison University
-George Mason University
Context: Virginia’s new Republcian Gov. Glenn Youngkin ran on a platform promising to end Covid-19 mandates and prioritize education.
What Happened: Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares said in a legal opinion that public universities lack the authority to mandate students receive the Covid-19 vaccine to attend in-person classes.
BREAKING: I've issued my first ever Attorney General opinion – Virginia state universities cannot mandate the COVID-19 vaccine as a condition for enrollment or in-person attendance.
Check it out here ⬇️⬇️⬇️ pic.twitter.com/dliMICczCZ
— Jason Miyares (@JasonMiyaresVA) January 28, 2022
Although the General Assembly specifically authorized public institutions of higher education to assist the Department of Health and local health departments in the administration of the COVID-19 vaccine, the legislation did not grant such institutions power to impose vaccine requirements,” Miyares wrote.
