Arizona Governor Doug Ducey signed an Executive Order on Tuesday prohibiting public colleges or universities from mandating students receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
By Jon Johnson
PHOENIX – Vaccine requirements to attend public schools is not new, students must provide immunizations records to attend K-12 schools to show students have been vaccinated against measles, polio, and others. However, the COVID-19 vaccine will not be added to that list for public universities and colleges according to an Executive Order signed by Governor Doug Ducey on Tuesday.
In his order, Ducey advised it was done, in part, in response to Arizona State University instituting a policy to all students on Monday advising that they be vaccinated with a COVID-19 vaccine prior to returning to class. The policy advised that those students who are not vaccinated would be subject to daily health checks, twice weekly testing, and mandated wearing of masks.
Ducey said that while the COVID-19 vaccines work and he highly encourages everyone able to take it to do so, COVID-19 – while highly contagious – does not meet the criteria necessary to provide for a mandated vaccine.
