Major universities in Virginia have revoked their COVID-19 vaccination mandates after state Attorney General Jason Miyares announced last week that public institutions cannot require vaccination as a condition of enrollment or attendance.
As a result, George Mason University, Virginia Tech, and the University of Virginia, along with the University of Mary Washington, have revoked their vaccine and booster mandates.
Miyares’s announcement stated that vaccine requirements could only be issued with the state General Assembly’s approval.
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
“As of this writing, it has not done so,” Miyares wrote. “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.”
George Mason University sent an email to students saying it will still “strongly encourage vaccination protocols for all Mason students, faculty, and staff” but will “no longer require them,” according to the Federalist.
Virginia Tech President Tim Sands announced the change in the university’s policy Monday.
“Virginia Tech will no longer require students to be vaccinated as a condition of enrollment or in-person instruction, effective immediately,” Sands said. “We continue to encourage everyone in our community to be vaccinated, get a booster dose as soon as you’re eligible, and report any updates to your vaccination status to the university.”
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The University of Virginia said Miyares’s announcement is moot for its mandate because the institution’s deadline had passed.
“We are grateful to report that over 99% of students have complied with our vaccine and booster requirements,” UVA said in a statement. “Because we have such a small number of students who have not yet received the booster, we decided early last week — based on the advice of our student affairs team — that we will not disenroll students who have not yet received their booster, but will continue to encourage them to do so.”
The University of Mary Washington also announced it would no longer require proof of COVID-19 vaccination, “nor will unvaccinated or eligible unboosted students be subject to separate testing requirements.”
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Miyares’s opinion issued last week supersedes the prior state attorney general’s opinion that gave Virginia’s public universities legal authority to mandate vaccines.
