When Rutgers University rolled out a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for students in the heart of the pandemic, it ignited a firestorm of controversy around a thorny question: Do students at Rutgers have the “fundamental right” to refuse a vaccine?

They do not, a federal appeals court ruled in a landmark decision this week.

On Thursday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit upheld a decision to dismiss claims brought by a group of students and Children’s Health Defense Inc. against Rutgers University. Read the full court opinion here.

During the pandemic, Rutgers added the COVID-19 vaccine to its list of required shots for students who wanted to return to in-person classes, including the campuses in Newark, New Brunswick and Camden.