Children in California now not have to get the COVID-19 vaccine to attend schools. The state has officially put an end to this requirement despite the continuing pandemic.
On Friday, the Golden State ended one in every of its last major restrictions by now not requiring students to get vaccinated before attending their on-campus classes, the Associated Press reported.
“That is long overdue. … Numerous families have been stressed from this decision and nervous about it for quite a while,” father of three Jonathan Zachreson told the outlet of the requirement’s termination.
“I wish (the California Department of Public Health) would make an even bigger statement publicly or (Gov. Gavin) Newsom would make a public statement … to let families know and faculty districts know that this isn’t any longer going to be a problem for them,” the Roseville resident, who founded the Reopen California Schools group in response to the coronavirus restrictions, added.
The policy was first executed by Newsom in 2021 at the peak of the pandemic. It required the estimated 6.7 million private and non-private schoolchildren of California to get jabbed against the virus.
“The state already requires that students are vaccinated against viruses that cause measles, mumps and rubella — there’s no reason why we wouldn’t do the identical for COVID-19,” Newsom said on the time. “Vaccines work. It’s why California leads the country in stopping school closures and has the bottom case rates.”
Nevertheless, the health crisis has since receded from public consciousness. Most individuals have also learned to live with the brand new normal. As well as, though the chance of catching Covid stays, the supply of multiple vaccines has lessened the fears and concerns over the virus.
The state’s public health department announced that after the termination of the policy, it was now not exploring emergency rulemaking so as to add COVID-19 to the list of required vaccinations in schools. Nevertheless, it still recommends coronavirus immunization for college students and faculty staff in order that they can stay secure of their classrooms.
Last month, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) proposed a change in how the COVID-19 vaccines ought to be updated. The federal agency desired to simplify the method by releasing up-to-date Covid vaccines yearly, similar to how the flu vaccine gets rolled out annually.