NAU suspends COVID-19 vaccine mandate after judge blocks federal order

Northern Arizona University is suspending its requirement that employees get vaccinated against COVID-19 in response to a federal judge temporarily blocking enforcement of the mandate for federal contractors.

As of now, NAU’s about 7,560 employees will not have to prove they’ve gotten vaccinated or applied for accommodation by Jan. 18. The university could reinstate the requirement depending on what happens in court.

Arizona State University had not announced any changes to its employee vaccination requirement and Jan. 4 deadline as of Friday evening. A University of Arizona spokesperson said the university still is reviewing the injunction and has not made a decision about whether to pause their Jan. 18 requirement.

The three state universities announced in mid-October that all employees would have to get the COVID-19 vaccine or receive a religious, disability or medical accommodation. The universities said they were following requirements that mandated institutions that contract with the federal government have employees vaccinated.

U.S. District Judge R. Stan Baker in Georgia temporarily blocked the vaccine mandate for federal contractors nationwide Tuesday.

Maricopa Community Colleges later that day alerted its about 12,000 employees the requirement would go on hold as a result.

The Arizona Board of Regents, the governing body for the three public universities, at that time said they were “performing a thorough review of the court decision and its potential impact.”

NAU employees got an email from human resources Friday afternoon explaining the university was “currently suspending implementation” of the employee vaccine requirement due to the court action.

“NAU is committed to abiding by legal and regulatory obligations and will continue to monitor this dynamic situation for any future changes that may reinstate enforcement of the vaccination requirement,” the email said.

NAU officials are still encouraging employees to continue to get vaccinated and to upload proof of their vaccination status.

When NAU implemented the requirement in October, already about 50% of employees had verified proof of vaccination. The current number was not immediately available.