INDIANAPOLIS — Nearly 20 state legislators are protesting Indiana University’s decision to require all students and employees to receive COVID-19 vaccinations, and they want the governor to block the move.
A letter dated Tuesday to Gov. Eric Holcomb calls on him to prohibit any state university from mandating vaccines that don’t have full U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval. The letter follows IU’s announcement on Friday that COVID-19 vaccinations will be required for the fall semester on all of its campuses.
“Enforcing a mandate that students and faculty accept a vaccine that does not have full FDA approval is unconscionable,” said the letter written by Rep. Jim Lucas of Seymour and signed by 18 fellow Republican House members. No high-ranking Republican leaders, however, signed the letter.
The governor’s office said Holcomb would review the letter after he returns Thursday from a trip to Israel.
IU spokesman Chuck Carney said university officials are prioritizing the safety of students and employees.
“IU’s vaccine policy is a clear path forward that will ensure a higher rate of immunity and the opportunity to give our students, faculty and staff a more typical university experience,” Carney said.
