Virginia AG: State colleges can’t mandate COVID-19 vaccines

By DENISE LAVOIE
Associated Press

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Virginia’s new attorney general says state colleges and universities cannot require students to get vaccinated against COVID-19. Republican Attorney General Jason Miyares found that because the state legislature has not passed legislation specifically mandating coronavirus vaccines for students, the colleges and universities don’t have the authority to require them. Many of Virginia’s public colleges and universities have required students to get COVID-19 vaccinations, including Virginia Commonwealth University, the University of Virginia and Virginia Tech. At least six public colleges dropped their vaccine requirements for employees after Gov. Glenn Youngkin issued an executive order rescinding the vaccine mandate for employees of state government agencies.