***At the end of every year we revisit some of our most popular stories from the calendar year. This story detailed how some employees in an Iowa school district were on edge due to the COVID vaccine mandate. It was less than a year ago many Iowans were having to go into great detail about their religious beliefs with their employers in order to avoid having a substance injected into their bodies. The Iowa House had a bill addressing the issue — the Medical Freedom & Privacy Act — but it failed to advance through the chamber. The bill made it out of committee but was largely stripped down to a skeleton of what it once was by the time it made it to the House floor. It was also lumped together with another issue that had nothing to do with medical freedom and, the bill’s biggest supporters, believed this version didn’t do nearly enough to protect Iowans, which led to its understandable demise.***
Some employees in the Edgewood-Colesburg School District are on edge after receiving an email on Wednesday from the district regarding the vaccine mandate. While the situation is “very fluid” and “changing minute by minute,” the district said it is possible on Jan. 10 the vaccine mandate will take effect.
“If the mandate stays in place we must know the vaccination status of all employees,” the email states. “What that means is we need one of the following…”
It goes on to ask for a form attached to the email to be filled out as well as any one of the following:
*Copy of vaccine card
*Immunization records from healthcare provider
*Copy of medical records documenting immunization from public health, state or tribal immunization information systems
*Any other official documentation that contains the type of vaccine administered, dates of administration and the name of the administering health provider or clinic.
There is a form that could be filled out for a medical accommodation or religious accommodation. However, the district said anyone wanting one of those accommodations may be required to provide more information.
Beginning Feb. 9, unvaccinated employees will be forced to wear a mask and begin weekly COVID testing. The district is currently seeking legal advice if unvaccinated employees must mask up sooner.
Here are the forms employees are to use if requesting an accommodation:
403.7E3-Religious Accommodation Request Form
403.7E2-Medical Accommodation Request Form
