Governor Kathy Hochul says there will be a statewide mandate on COVID-19 vaccination for all school age children.
However, it won’t come until the state legislature acts. Governor Hochul was recently asked if she’d consider a mandate for all children across New York schools.
“This is certainly something health departments all across the country are looking at,” Hochul told MSNBC. “Every vaccine children have before they go to school has to be authorized by state law. Not every state follows this.”
The state has reported significant challenges getting children ages 5-17 vaccinated. Less than half of those populations are currently vaccinated against COVID-19, despite having approval at the federal level.
When would a vaccine mandate happen? Probably not until September, Hochul said. But that doesn’t mean things couldn’t change sooner if the situation evolves.
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