University employees no longer required to receive COVID-19 vaccine

Photo by Matt Stamey / Wichita Journalism Collaborative

File photo from 2020. The Sedgwick County Health Department will be offering free vaccines every Wednesday in April at the Charles Koch Arena.

Wichita State faculty and staff are no longer required to receive the COVID-19 vaccination, according to a news release sent out in today’s WSU Today. This decision is in response to a Georgia federal judge’s decision to to halt the requirement of government contractors and subcontractors to receive the vaccine.

“This is yet another example where our university community continues to demonstrate their commitment to compliance, the health and safety of our community, and adjusting when necessary,” President Rick Muma said in a letter.

The mandate was initially issued in October in response to President Joe Biden’s executive order. The mandate stated that if employees did not receive the vaccine by the deadline, it could lead to termination.