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Citing state attorney general opinion, LSU maintains vaccines can't be required on campus

2 years 7 months 3 weeks ago Tuesday, August 03 2021 Aug 3, 2021 August 03, 2021 2:13 PM August 03, 2021 in News
Source: WBRZ

BATON ROUGE - LSU reiterated it does not believe it can require a coronavirus vaccine under emergency use authorization despite private universities in Louisiana doing so and a new federal appeals court ruling siding with a public university in Indiana that it can mandate COVID vaccines for its campus.

Monday, a federal appeals court ruled Indiana University can proceed with its plan to require those on campus in the fall - students and employees - to get vaccinated for COVID-19.

The federal appeals court backing the public university is the highest court decision regarding college immunization mandates.  Justices determined the university was acting reasonably “in pursuing public health and safety for its campus communities.”  Courts rejected a request by eight students who sought to block the requirement while they challenge its legality, claiming that it would violate their constitutional rights by forcing them to receive unwanted medical treatment.

Tuesday, hospitals in Baton Rouge outlined vaccine and mask mandates for its employees

LSU has said it does not believe there is a legal avenue in Louisiana to require COVID vaccines until the FDA officially approves the vaccines.

Prompted by questions from WBRZ regarding the case in Indiana, LSU released a statement Tuesday, adding that the university will review the latest case.  It also referenced an opinion from Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry that vaccine mandates are illegal.

Read the full LSU statement below: 

In these cases, we have to do a full analysis on when it is appropriate to encroach on an individual’s constitutionally protected fundamental liberties. Currently, the Louisiana Department of Health has not included any COVID vaccinations in the mandatory schedule for schools in Louisiana. Our state’s attorney general has also expressed his view that it is illegal to mandate a vaccine that has only received emergency use authorization. Taking these factors into consideration, as a state government entity, we do not believe mandating a vaccine is a viable option for us at this time. We do, however, strongly encourage our students, faculty, staff and other members of our community to take the personal responsibility for getting vaccinated to help ensure a safe and successful fall semester. 

 

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