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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowIndiana University is giving students and employees an option to avoid providing proof of COVID-19 vaccinations, changing a policy that had drawn protests from many state officials.
IU announced Tuesday that students and employees would be able to attest to their vaccination without having to provide documentation of having received the shots, as was required under the previous policy announced May 21.
The university also said a form would be available Wednesday for those requesting exemptions from the vaccine requirement for medical or religious reasons.
“Requiring the COVID-19 vaccine for IU students, faculty and staff with appropriate exemptions continues the university’s comprehensive science and public health-driven approach to managing and mitigating the pandemic on our campuses,” IU President Michael McRobbie said in a statement. “This requirement will make a ‘return to normal’ a reality for the fall semester.”
The changes come after the state attorney general issued last week a non-binding opinion that the policy was illegal under a new state law banning the state or local governments from requiring vaccine passports.
Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb had said discussions about the policy were ongoing and that he wouldn’t issue an executive order blocking IU’s requirement as sought by some GOP state legislators.
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How quick IU was to back down. Ridiculous requirement anyways
You’re right it is ridiculous how quickly IU backed down… they should have held their ground and still made it mandatory with reasonable exceptions. Instead the fall term won’t necessarily be drastically different than the spring term because of the bozos that are afraid of getting the vaccine!
those bozos have every right to decline as it is their civil right to do so. IU backed down because they didn’t want sued for such violations of such.
IU has every reason to make their campus and work place safe. Just like the person that has active TB
IU has every reason to make their campus and work place safe. Just like the person that thinks it is his patriotic American duty to go out in public with active TB, IU should be able to protect themselves from such idiocy.
I actually think they should be able to charge double the tuition to people that refuse to get vaccinated without a valid scientific medical reason for doing so. Make the person creating the risk, bear some responsibility for their reckless behavior.
IU should just copy what Purdue is doing. You don’t have to get vaccinated at Purdue, but getting vaccinated exempts you from several of their COVID protocols.
Jeffery R – It’s also IU’s right to not allow them to attend if they don’t meet the school’s requirements.
As an alumni, I’m disappointed that IU bowed down to the Indiana GOP regime. If you don’t require proof of vaccination, you may as well get rid of the requirement all together. This is pathetic.
It is pathetic. They folded like a deck of cards.
I agree wholeheartedly with Wesley. If we can’t depend on IU to do this right what next?
Was this McRobbie’s swan song?