The COVID-19 vaccine will no longer be mandated for employees at the Rock County-run nursing home Rock Haven.

The county board voted 15-12 Thursday night to discontinue the mandate that went in place at the end of December 2020.

Nursing home administrator Natalie Rolling-Edelbeck implored the board to keep the mandate in place. It was instituted before Rolling-Edelbeck took over the leadership position.

She said she would have handled it differently had she been in charge when the mandate was implemented, but now that it’s here, she believes it is help keeping residents safe.

Board members opposed to the vaccine requirement expressed concerns with forcing Rock Haven employees to receive an inoculation while other county employees do not have the same condition of employment.

The nursing home will now recall the employees who were on layoff status as a result of the policy but not every worker will be able to return to the exact job they left.

The county is facing a potential lawsuit from a group of laid-off employees represented by a Fitchburg attorney contesting the legality of the mandate.