A pair of federal COVID-19 vaccination mandates that would apply to all employees and students in clinical programs at The University of Toledo have been temporarily halted as they are challenged in federal court.
The University’s own requirement that faculty, staff and students be vaccinated against COVID-19 or have an approved exemption by Nov. 15 remains in place.
However, the implementation of the more stringent federal vaccine requirements set out in an executive order and a rule from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has been temporarily put on hold. Those federal rules would not allow philosophical exemptions.
Because of the federal requirements, the University previously announced it would no longer be permitted to allow philosophical exemptions for any UToledo employees or student learners in healthcare settings. Exemptions for religious or medical reasons would still be permitted.
In the interim while these cases move through the legal process, the University will temporarily continue to recognize philosophical exemptions for the University’s vaccine requirement for all employees and students. However, it is important to note that other clinical sites are not allowing philosophical exemptions for faculty or learners within their facilities, which may impact those individuals’ ability to complete their studies or work at those sites.
The new federal rules were to go into effect on Dec. 6, with impacted individuals required to be fully vaccinated by Jan. 4, 2022.
The University will continue to closely monitor the situation to ensure it is in full compliance with all applicable federal deadlines, rules and regulations.
