A federal judge in the United States ruled Monday that Indiana University has the right to require students and staff to be vaccinated against covid-19, an issue that divides the country.
Judge Damon Leichty of the South Bend court in Chicago made this decision, the first on the issue of compulsory vaccination in the USA, refused to annul the new university health regulation that came into force in view of the start of classes from 1 to 15th of August. Under this regulation the vaccination against covid-19 is mandatory for Indiana University's 90.000 students and 40.000 staff, although exceptions are provided for religious or medical reasons.
The constitution allows students "to refuse any medical procedure based on the principle of self-determination of their body," the judge said. But it also allows "the imposition of a vaccination process in the legitimate interest of public health," he added.
The US immunization campaign, which has allowed the country to make great progress in curbing the coronavirus pandemic, appears to have stalled in recent weeks. About 68% of adults have received at least one dose of the vaccine covid-19, but there are large geographical differences.
Many conservative organizations, such as the student Turning Point, have launched a campaign against compulsory vaccination against covid-19 in universities and support all those who seek justice.
For their part, US universities have not taken a uniform stance, with about 500 of them so far demanding that students and staff be vaccinated against covid-19.
Source: RES-EAP