California Governor Gavin Newsom (D) has decided to let a “state of emergency” that has been in effect for three years and mandated the coronavirus vaccination for students in grades K-12 expire at the end of February.
Once the vaccine receives final approval from the FDA, Newsom has promised to make it mandatory for K-12 pupils to have it before they can attend school in person full-time (FDA). But the policy has been delayed, reportedly because of administrative concerns. A Democrat in the state legislature proposed a measure last year to make the coronavirus injection one of the necessary vaccines for attending school in the state, as reported by Breitbart News.
Nonetheless, Newsom’s decision to lift the state of emergency has resulted in the policy’s repeal. What we learn from CalMatters
With the conclusion of the state of emergency on February 28, after almost three years, the state has decided to abandon its intention to mandate COVID-19 immunization for children in grades K through 12.
However, the California Department of Public Health noted in a statement, “we continue to highly promote COVID-19 vaccination for kids and staff to keep everyone safer in the classroom.”
All of the 6.7 million pupils in California’s public and private schools would have been covered under the proposal. However, it would have been difficult to enforce the rule because the vaccine’s protective effects were beginning to wear off.
After more than three years, on May 11, President Joe Biden notified Congress that he would be lifting the state of emergency and the public health emergency over the coronavirus epidemic.