Indiana University’s Covid-19 Vaccination Mandate Confirmed by Federal Judge

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“Recognizing the important freedom of students to refuse unwanted medical treatment, the Fourteenth Amendment allows Indiana University to pursue a reasonable and due process of immunization in the legitimate interest of public health for its students, its professors and staff, ”Judge Damon Leichty wrote in the 101-page decision.

“Today, on this preliminary file, the university did it for its campus communities.”

The decision came after eight students filed a complaint claiming the schools’ vaccination policy was unconstitutional and violated the 14th Amendment and state law.

In the decision, Justice Leichty dismissed a request for a preliminary injunction and wrote that the students were unlikely to be successful on the merits of their request.

IU first announced its intention to require students, faculty and staff to receive Covid-19 vaccines before the fall semester in June. The university is one of more than 100 colleges and universities in the United States that require students to be vaccinated.

Indiana University welcomed the decision in a statement to CNN.

Students sue Indiana University in federal court over vaccination warrant

“A Federal Court ruling upheld Indiana University’s COVID-19 vaccination plan designed for the health and well-being of our students, faculty and staff,” IU said. “We appreciate the quick and thorough decision that allows us to focus on a full and safe return. We look forward to welcoming everyone to our campuses for the fall semester.”

James Bopp Jr., the plaintiffs’ lead counsel and general counsel for America’s Frontline Doctors, said they plan to appeal.

“Today’s ruling does not end the student struggle – we plan to immediately appeal the judge’s ruling,” Bopp said in a statement. “In addition, we plan to ask the judge to suspend IU’s warrant pending this appeal. We are confident that the appeals court will agree that the warrant should be suspended.”

The United States Supreme Court has long ruled that states and public schools can mandate vaccinations. Justice Leichty’s ruling underscored the state of Indiana’s long-standing requirements for other vaccinations before going to school.

“Indiana requires that all students in public universities be vaccinated against diphtheria, tetanus, measles, mumps, rubella and meningococcal disease before going to school. All of these vaccines except one have been mandatory since 1993. “, indicates the judgment.

By rejecting the motion, the decision also underlines that the university allows certain exemptions, in particular for religious and medical reasons, and indicates that the students thus have “multiple choices, not just a forced vaccination”.

In late April, the state of Indiana passed a law prohibiting state or local units from requiring a vaccination passport, so any vaccine requirements must be based on an honor system.
Across the country, young Americans have been vaccinated at lower rates than older Americans, and young people have also been infected more than any other demographic. People between the ages of 18 and 29 make up 16.4% of the U.S. population but account for 22.5% of all Covid-19 cases, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Generally, unvaccinated young people are less likely to have serious consequences from Covid-19 than unvaccinated elderly people, but they can still get seriously ill and pass the virus on to others. Unvaccinated people also offer other opportunities for the development of dangerous mutations, such as the Delta variant.

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