GMU Exempts Professor from COVID Vaccine Mandate Following 'Natural Immunity' Lawsuit

ABOVE:  George Mason University Law Professor Todd Zywicki appeared on the Tuesday edition of CBN News' Faith Nation to talk more about the COVID-19 vaccine mandates. Faith Nation is seen weekdays on the CBN News Channel.

A George Mason University (GMU) law professor who sued the school over its COVID-19 vaccine mandate was granted a medical exemption by the school on Tuesday. 

The Washington Examiner reports Todd Zywicki, the law professor at the Fairfax, Virginia, school said he had COVID-19 and defeated it, therefore his natural immunity, he argued, should prevent him from having to get the vaccination. 

GMU had a mandate requiring all attending students to be inoculated by Aug. 1.  Faculty and staff had a deadline of Aug. 15 to be vaccinated. Those who did not comply with the mandate had to show a reason for a medical or religious exemption. 

According to University Business, Zywicki claimed the vaccine mandate enforced by the school was excessive since he already had natural immunity through antibodies he acquired after he successfully recovered from the virus. His attorneys revealed Zywicki took six tests to prove those antibodies were still active in his immune system. 

"I am gratified that George Mason has given me a medical exemption to allow me to fulfill my duties this fall semester in light of unprecedented circumstances," Zywicki said. "I speak for tens of millions of Americans in the same circumstances I am in, and I call on leaders across the country to develop humane and science-based approaches as opposed to one-size-fits-all policies."

Zywicki's attorneys said in a press release that GMU will not pursue disciplinary action against their client. He will be allowed to conduct regular office hours and go to in-person events as long as he maintains six feet of social distancing. Zywicki, however, must submit to COVID-19 testing once a week.

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A GMU spokesperson told the Examiner there was no settlement agreement with Zywicki, and wouldn't comment on any employee's medical accommodation, citing "state policy regarding personnel information and confidentiality of health information."

"His litigation had no impact on the consideration of his request for a medical exemption from the vaccination requirement," the spokesperson said. "Mason encourages everyone, including those who previously had COVID-19, to get vaccinated, and will continue to take the steps necessary to protect the Mason community from COVID."

Dr. Marty Makary, a professor at Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, told CBN News in late June that medical experts got it wrong when they dismissed natural immunity to the virus. 

"It's one of the biggest failures of our medical establishment to dismiss natural immunity," he told CBN News, pointing to two new studies that show its efficacy. "It works. It's durable. You may not need the vaccine and it's probably long-lasting. It's probably life-long."

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said last week that a new study showed unvaccinated people were twice as likely to get reinfected with COVID-19.

 "These findings suggest that among persons with previous SARS-CoV-2 infection, full vaccination provides additional protection against reinfection," the CDC said. "To reduce their risk of infection, all eligible persons should be offered vaccination, even if they have been previously infected with SARS-CoV-2."

But in a U.S. News & World Report op-ed published earlier this month, Makary said an Israeli study showed natural immunity is 6.7 times greater than for vaccinated people.