California Shifts Stance on School Vaccinations: Recommends, But Doesn’t Mandate COVID-19 Shots
After the COVID state of emergency was declared over on February 28, the state of California decided that it would no longer require pupils to have the vaccine in order to attend school.
The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) considered adding the COVID-19 vaccine to the state’s list of mandatory vaccines for schoolchildren in 2021; however, the department has said that it is just “highly advising” that students obtain the vaccine at this time.
The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) issued the following statement on February 3: “CDPH is not currently exploring emergency rulemaking to add COVID-19 to the list of required school vaccinations,” however, “we continue to strongly recommend COVID-19 immunization for students and staff to keep everyone safer in the classroom.” “The legislative process is the appropriate forum in which to consider any adjustments to the mandatory vaccines for grades K–12.”
The ruling would result in the termination of all COVID-19 regulations that are mandated by the state, while health officials will continue to advise members of the public to wear masks when they are inside with other people and to keep their vaccines up to date.
According to the criteria set forth by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the risk level of COVID-19 community transmission in Los Angeles County is now considered “low.”
Dr. Barbara Ferrer, the Director of Los Angeles County Public Health, stated in a COVID-19 report on February 2 that she is “hopeful that we continue to remain in a low community [transmission level] with everyone taking common sense precautions to temper transmission and prevent serious disease.” Masking does continue to provide an additional layer of protection for people who are the most susceptible. This is especially the case in indoor settings that are congested and in places that have poor ventilation.
