California is exploring the possibility of a statewide mandate requiring children ages 12 and older get vaccinated in order to attend schools, the state’s top public health official said Wednesday.
In a briefing with reporters Thursday, California Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly said state officials are closely monitoring local school district decisions regarding coronavirus vaccine mandates, though he stopped short of saying California would impose similar mandates for the COVID-19 vaccines.
“That conversation is happening — certainly as part of what we’re considering as a state — but no definitive action or decision is being made at the moment,” Ghaly said.
The remarks were the strongest yet from a state official regarding COVID-19 vaccine mandates for attending in-person school. Just a few weeks ago, a spokesperson for Gov. Gavin Newsom told CalMatters that there was “no conversation” yet about a statewide rule; in August, his office announced that all school employees, including teachers and staff, must show proof of vaccination or be subject to weekly testing.
Late Wednesday night, Oakland Unified became the first school district in Northern California to require students 12 and older to be fully vaccinated “unless prohibited by law,” while officials in the Piedmont Unified School District passed a similar mandate. The Los Angeles public school system — the largest in the state — issued its own requirement earlier this month.
Still, the Oakland vaccine mandate drew criticism from some school board members Wednesday night, who said they feared the rule it could keep some kids out of school: Just 34% of African American students and 55% of Latino students have been vaccinated, according to the district. West Contra Costa Unified School District recently postponed a meeting for its own resolution to first consider remote learning options for students that don’t get vaccinated.
Ghaly acknowledged that the COVID vaccine has raised concerns even among some parents “who have their kids fully vaccinated against the number of other vaccine-preventable illnesses,” but emphasized that student vaccine mandates are “not new considerations” in California or the U.S.
Schools nationwide have a decades-long tradition of ensuring that students are protected against communicable diseases. In California, the list of required vaccines includes those against polio, measles, chickenpox, tetanus and other illnesses, some of which apply even before entering pre-kindergarten childcare.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends COVID-19 vaccinations for everyone over 12 to prevent severe illness and death. Children over age 12 currently eligible for the Pfizer vaccine.
“To date, protecting young kids from COVID has been led by getting the adults around these young Californians to be vaccinated,” Ghaly said. “Soon, we hope, I hope — as a father of three kids under the age of 12 and a pediatrician — that we can soon vaccinate many of our students and wrap a thicker blanker of protection around these school communities.”
Staff writer Annie Sciacca contributed to this report.
