Washington’s State Board of Health plans to go over a recommendation against including a COVID-19 vaccination requirement for school entry at its all-day meeting April 13. Petitions concerning the decision-making about such a requirement also will be introduced, and time for public comment is included on the meeting’s draft agenda released today.

Action by the board on these issues is possible. 

Even though the technical advisory group set up by the state’s Department of Health and the State Board of Health (SBOH) advised against a COVID-19 vaccine requirement for school children, the issue is listed on the draft agenda this way: “Briefing – Recommendations from the Technical Advisory Group (TAG) to consider COVID-19 for Inclusion in WAC 246-105-030 – Possible Action.” That could mean the board will be considering more than just the majority decision of the group. Several TAG members did want the vaccine included on the vaccination schedule or were torn about the timing of such a requirement.

The board has the final say on the matter, not the advisory group. However, the board says that it usually goes along with the formal recommendations it receives.

Not enough is known yet about the vaccine and its side effects, advisory group members said in their considerations, and the requirement felt out of line when the shots given for COVID-19 do not prevent transmission of the virus.  

Lack of disease prevention makes this whole exercise of considering the inclusion of a COVID-19 vaccine questionable. The Washington Administrative Code outlining school-entry requirements is titled, “Immunization of child care and school children against certain vaccine-preventable diseases.” COVID-19 is not a vaccine-preventable disease. Other, long-proven vaccines on the requirement list are well-demonstrated in prevention and an essential part of public health. 

Submitting public comment for or against the idea of COVID-19 vaccination inclusion is easy, as is registering to attend the online meeting or signing up to give comments verbally. Instructions are on the SBOH’s meeting information page.  (Know that written comments are due by noon on April 8.)

Washington Policy Center is hopeful that parents, in consultation with their children’s doctors, will remain in charge of determining whether a COVID-19 shot is best for a child — without the pressure of a school-entry requirement. The advisory group the SBOH convened was right in recommending against the idea, given what we know about COVID-19 and vaccine risks, as well as the prevention limitations of the vaccines.