California will have a school vaccine mandate. Here are answers to your questions
California will become the first state in the U.S. to mandate COVID-19 vaccination for K-12 students in both public and private schools, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced on Friday.
Students will be required to get the vaccine in order to attend in-person classes.
For parents and school staff left wondering what this means, here are some answers to some questions you may have:
Who does the vaccine order apply to?
The vaccine mandate applies to all K-12 students in California, whether they attend public or private school. It also applies to all school employees.
The order will roll out in two groups, with students from kindergarten to sixth grade in one group, and seventh grade through 12th grade in another group.
Students that opt out of getting the vaccine will be required to enroll in independent study.
In a press conference Friday, Newsom said students will be eligible for exemptions for medical or personal religious belief reasons.
When will students and staff have to get vaccinated?
The state projects that the requirement for grades 7 through 12 will go into effect on July 1, 2022. Staff will also have to be vaccinated in conjunction with the 7-12 grade span.
Students will be broken up into grade spans: Kindergarten through sixth grade, and seventh grade through 12th grade.
Once the U.S. Food and Drug Administration grants full approval for a vaccine for a given grade span, the California Department of Public Health will issue the requirement, which will take place at the start of the term following full approval for that grade span, either Jan. 1 or July 1, whichever comes first.
Students who are under the age of full approval, but within the grade span, will be required to get vaccinated once they reach the age of full approval.
Which vaccines are approved for kids?
Currently, the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is the only shot recommended for children aged 12 and up. The company has submitted data to the FDA for trials on vaccination for children aged 5 through 11.
The Pfizer vaccine has full FDA approval for everyone 16 and older. It remains under emergency use authorization for children 12 to 15.
Where are COVID-19 vaccines already required for eligible kids?
Several school districts in California already have implemented vaccine mandates for their students and school staff.
That includes districts in San Diego, Los Angeles and Oakland.
What other vaccines are required for students to attend California schools?
Under California law, students must be vaccinated against the following diseases before they will be allowed to attend school: diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, polio, hepatitis B, measles, mumps, rubella and chickenpox.
This story was originally published October 1, 2021 at 12:35 PM with the headline "California will have a school vaccine mandate. Here are answers to your questions."