As the highly transmissible delta variant of COVID-19 spreads across the country, many businesses are again tightening safety precautions to help curb the spread of the disease, like reinstating mask mandates or requiring that employees be vaccinated. Many colleges and universities, still hoping that students can return to in-person schooling in the fall, are also requiring that students be vaccinated. But if a school receives funding from the government, can they still enact a vaccine mandate?
The First Amendment vs. Vaccine Mandates
Constitutional checks keep governments from requiring government employees, particularly at the federal level, to be vaccinated, although President Biden has begun to tighten regulations for unvaccinated individuals. Private employers can, however, legally require their employees or patrons to be vaccinated.
