Uncertainty remains at the University of Idaho surrounding the federal vaccine mandate with the Idaho State Board of Education challenging it. President Joe Biden’s executive order mandating COVID-19 vaccinations for federal contractors by Jan. 4 includes Idaho’s four-year universities.
According to email by UI President Scott Green and Provost and Executive Vice President Torrey Lawrence, this could impact all university employees as well as employed students. Employees would be required to be fully vaccinated by Jan. 4 with two completed doses of Moderna or Pfizer.
Institutions that choose not to comply could lose millions in research money, with UI risking $22 million in non-grant federal contracts.
In a unanimous decision, ISBE members joined a lawsuit filed by Georgia earlier this month challenging the federal mandate. At the same time, the board also gave institutions approval to comply with the order if they chose to.
$89 million in research contracts are at risk across Idaho institutions depending on compliance with the executive order.
As the ISBE continues to fight this order, UI’s implementation of the vaccine mandate is still to be determined.
Haadiya Tariq can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @haadiyatariq