Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards said during his monthly radio show today that proof of COVID-19 vaccination won't be among the vaccines required for enrollment in Louisiana public schools.
The governor said he had thought that by now, the FDA would have given full authorization to the vaccines for people younger than 16. So far, the agency has only approved vaccines for ages 16 and up. Ages 5-15 currently are able to get the shots under emergency use authorizations.
“When LDH began the standard process of adding the COVID-19 vaccine to the school immunization schedule, we expected more age groups would have full FDA approval in advance of the 2022-2023 school year,” the Louisiana Department of Health said in a statement. “The FDA has not yet fully approved the COVID-19 vaccine for those under the age of 16; therefore, at the start of the 2022 school year, students in Louisiana will not be required to be vaccinated against COVID-19.”
LDH said they have the “utmost confidence in the rigorous FDA processes.”
State health officials and the governor last year approved adding the COVID shot to the list of other required immunizations, like measles and the mumps, in order for children to enroll in school. Many Republican lawmakers balked, even though the state has a broad policy for vaccine exemptions.