California will not require K-12 students to get vaccinated against COVID-19 until at least 2023, state public health officials said this week.
The California Department of Public Health said in a statement Thursday that COVID vaccines will not be required for students until at least July 1, 2023, provided that they are fully approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for children under age 16 before then.
To date, the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine has been fully approved for people ages 16 and up while the Moderna vaccine has been fully approved for adults. Children ages 5-16 are eligible for the Pfizer vaccine under the federal government’s emergency use authorization.
CDPH officials said they would wait until at least the 2023-2024 school year to give schools enough time for “successful implementation” of the vaccination requirement.
“California is making informed decisions on how to further protect students and staff, to keep children safely in classrooms,” CDPH Director and state Public Health Officer Dr. Tomas Aragon said.
Gov. Gavin Newsom announced in October that the state would add the COVID-19 vaccine to its list of vaccines required to attend school — like those for measles, polio and chicken pox — for the term following the FDA’s full approval, as soon as Jan. 1 of this year.
The requirement would first apply to students age 12 and older in grades seven through 12, Newsom said at that time, and would at a later date apply to the remaining students under age 12.
Newsom also said the requirement will have standard exemptions for children who cannot get vaccinated due to religious or medical reasons.
As of Friday, just 34.2 percent of the state’s children ages 5-11 had been fully vaccinated, according to state public health data, while two-thirds of kids ages 12-17 have completed their initial vaccine series.
With the school vaccination requirement shelved for at least 15 months, the CDPH announced Friday that it will make $10 million in grants available to health care providers to extend their operating hours in an effort to make it easier for families to get vaccinated.
The funding will be available to providers in the state’s Vaccines for Children program and will provide up to $25,000 per vaccination site.
“Vaccines are the most powerful tool we have to protect our children and our communities from the dangers of COVID-19,” state Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly said in a statement.
Statewide, 75.1 percent of all residents age 5 and up have completed their initial vaccination series and an additional 9 percent have received at least one vaccine dose, according to CDPH data.
In addition, 58.2 percent of people age 12 and up who are eligible for a booster vaccine dose have received one.
Nope, none of that at my house. You can just keep pushing that date back, thank you very much! I don’t want to homeschool, but will if they actually go through with requiring this at some point.
B.S., they didnt shelve anything.
SB871 was defeated. The media was forbidden to discuss that part.
Who’s on first? No, Whos on second! and on they go
Following the nationwide news that CA had the worst response to covid, I’d be running for cover.
The state’s response was a colossal failure and many many lives were lost due to the failures of the state.
The government of CA today is failing at everything it touches.
Shelving the mandate for K-12 is a good idea, it needs to be expanded for eternity.
The Government of CA is worth less than dog crap stuck on a shoe.
Well, it may have been put off for a year, but we’re still leaving.
Us too! What we’ve been put through is insane.
Don’t forget that State Senator Richard Pan in Sacramento wants to take away the religious exemption for this vaccine in schools (Senate Bill 277)
“Receiving more than $95,000, the top recipient of industry campaign cash is Sen. Richard Pan, a Sacramento Democrat and doctor who is carrying the vaccine bill.”
Drug companies donated millions to California lawmakers before vaccine debate:
https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article24913978.html
When this mandate is enforced, especially if exemptions are not allowed, school districts will have a further student exodus on their hands. With already declining enrollment, perhaps this mandate should be shelved. And exactly what would this mandate look like? Will parents be required to keep having their kids injected with more vaccine every time Pfizer determines that a booster is necessary? Personally, I think it is wrong to use children in what is a giant experiment. There is no way to know what potential long-term effects these vaccines will have on the population. Pfizer already does not want to share information on the Covid vaccine. What are they hiding that they can’t release findings now unless it is something which would make people think twice about getting the vaccine. And if that is the case, why on earth should children be required be a part of this experiment? What happens if there is a big “oops” down the road from Pfizer. Well, it would be too late.
I find it curious that the state claims a decision was made, and the powers that be decided to “shelf” the vaccine requirement. Right. They’ve been inundated with SO much pushback they’re trying to save face. Too little. Too late. Crawl back under the sewage from whence you came. And stay there this time. I’m tired of your stink.
I agree, Pugsly! Their stink has stunk too much! This is all about the mid term elections…need to appeal to the voters now as our mandates are unpalatable to to our constituents…let’s kick the can down the road…
No jabs for kids. Stop listing this garbage as a vaccine, it’s not. Also stop listing covid with childhood diseases, it’s not. If you want to close down public education, which might be a good idea at this point, keep pushing this idiotic madness. People will pull their kids in mass. Newsome is evil.
COVID-19 vaccine it’s not an immunization, therefore I believe they shouldn’t force it on us or our children ,stops forcing people to a vaccine and all its boosters. stand your ground .
so glad we left, living under this insanity so awful, leave with your kids if you can, if newsom could do what China is doing he would, kill your pets and lock you inside