Vaccine no longer mandated for Nevada university employees

LAS VEGAS (AP) — The Nevada Board of Regents will no longer require staff at the state’s public universities and colleges be vaccinated for COVID-19.

A majority of the regents for the Nevada System of Higher Education voted Thursday to rescind an employee vaccine mandate.

The mandate was first approved last year. Regents met on the issue in December but could not come to a majority vote.

Hundreds of employees statewide ended up quitting or losing their job because they would not get vaccinated.

It was not immediately clear if those employees would be offered their jobs back.

According to the Nevada System of Higher Education website, roughly 97% of 22,000 current system employees have gotten vaccinated.

The regents also passed a resolution upholding state regulations involving the virus. It also declared that presidents of these universities and colleges can lead health measures for their respective campuses.