Governor Kathy Hochul says all options are on the table when it comes to COVID vaccine mandates and school children.
Could there be a vaccine mandate inside public schools in New York?
Governor Hochul said it’s possible, but she hopes everyone does the ‘right thing’ when it comes to getting the COVID vaccine. At this point, the state is evaluating information and data.
The Food and Drug Administration is expected to discuss Pfizer’s vaccine for children between 5 and 11 years old. That conversation will likely happen this week, and could prompt an emergency use approval.
If that comes, Hochul wants parents to be ready for it. Emergency use authorization is not the same as full-approval. Critics of the COVID vaccine have argued that taking the shot when only given ’emergency use authorization’ is the equivalent of taking an experimental drug.
The data on the COVID vaccines available for public use say otherwise.
New York City has already implemented a vaccine requirement of its own. They also don’t have a weekly testing option.
Will the COVID vaccine be required for all staff in schools?
The short answer is maybe. At this point, Governor Hochul has backed off the prospect of forcing New Yorkers to get the vaccine. However, schools have optioned a weekly testing component.
That has frustrated some, who want to see anyone working in schools vaccinated without exception. It’s unclear if that will happen. NYSUT, the teachers union that has a ton of power in this debate, has said it opposes vaccine mandates.
Will students be forced to get the COVID vaccine?
There’s a good chance the COVID vaccine becomes required like many other vaccinations. While it may not happen immediately, there are a number of vaccines students are required to get to attend.
Will that lead to an exit from public schools for many families? That has been suggested by some critics of the COVID vaccine on social media, but no data has been made available to show that students or families are exiting the public school system because of possible vaccine mandates.
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