James Madison University is no longer requiring students and faculty to be vaccinated against COVID-19. The university posted a letter to its website on Tuesday, Feb. 1 addressing this new change in COVID-19 protocol. “In light of current circumstances and guidance, and this high vaccination rate in our community, we are no longer requiring individual students or employees to obtain COVID-19 vaccinations,” the letter stated. 

The letter, which was signed by JMU President Jonathan Alger and other administrators, stated that JMU still encourages its community to get vaccinated and that, “significant and compelling medical data demonstrates that the vaccines are highly effective at preventing serious illness and death among those who contract COVID-19.”

So why lift the vaccine mandate? Well, the news comes only days after Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares issued a legal opinion stating that state public colleges and universities cannot require students to be vaccinated against COVID-19, just short of a month since Virginia  Governor Glen Younkin signed an executive order that restricts government-funded institutions from applying a vaccine mandate for employees.

JMU’s letter states, “We continue to review our COVID-related policies and practices given current developments, including evolving public health guidance, the local medical situation, and communications from the federal and state governments such as a recent opinion from the Virginia Office of the Attorney General among others.”

Schools such as The College of William & Mary, the University of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University, Virginia State University, Virginia Tech and JMU have all made changes in their COVID protocol, whether it be removing vaccine mandates for students, employees or both.

Neither the attorney general’s opinion nor the governor’s executive order affects private institutions. This means that schools such as EMU and Bridgewater College do not have to review their COVID-19 protocol.

According to the letter issued by JMU, about 92% of students and 91% of employees are currently vaccinated against COVID-19.