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At the April 13 meeting of the State Board of Health, the board will decide whether to take the recommendation it sought from a technical advisory group (TAG) about including a COVID-19 immunization requirement for children in school and childcare. The technical advisory group voted against a COVID-19 vaccine requirement, with members saying not enough is known about the vaccine or its side effects for school-age children. The vaccines also do not prevent transmission or contraction of the virus, making the benefit of such a requirement unclear.
The board could agree with the group or it could initiate rulemaking to include a COVID-19 immunization requirement for school entry.
“Under state law, the Board has authority to adopt rules to establish the technical and substantive requirements for immunization against certain vaccine-preventable diseases for school entry,” information from the board says.
I hope the board chooses wisely. The COVID-19 shots are not able to prevent COVID-19, and the decision to receive them is one that should be made between doctors and patients — without the pressure of a school-entry requirement.
Read more about the inclusion-requirement process here: https://sboh.wa.gov/news/technical-advisory-group-tag-process-overview-faq.
Register to attend the all-day, online meeting or give public comment through the following link: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_fPNK3XjVT0uzyc12vSkdtQ.
