Approval For Children 12 And Older Leads To Questions About Requirements For Next School Year
BY: STAFF REPORT | BocaNewsNow.com
BOCA RATON, FL (BocaNewsNow.com) (Copyright © 2021 MetroDesk Media, LLC) — The Florida Department of Health is so far saying nothing about mandatory COVID shots for children 12 and older who plan to attend public school during the 2021-2022 academic year.
The CDC and FDA approved Pfizer COVID shots for children 12-15 on Monday. Shots are already approved for those 16 and older.
The Florida Department of Health is the agency that mandates which shots are required for public school students. Each year, families must prove that their children have been inoculated against several viruses, including Diptheria, Polio, Measles, Hepatits, Tetanus and more.
Mandatory shots, experts say, would go a long way towards removing mask mandates currently in place in Palm Beach County schools. As we reported Monday, a 19-item agenda for the next Palm Beach County School Board meeting does not include discussion about masks for the 2021-2022 school year — leading to angst and anger for many anti-masking parents.
Masks remain a requirement in all Palm Beach County Schools. While Board members say they are open to discussing the mandate, it’s unclear when that discussion will take place.
A local school board does not have the authority to mandate vaccines, or overrule mandates put into place from the Florida Department of Health. There is no word from the Florida Dept. Of Health as to when a decision could be made about COVID-19 vaccine requirements.
Read the current FLDOH vaccine requirements, below.
