NYC mayoral hopeful Eric Adams says he will require COVID-19 vaccine for students if FDA approves it

Democratic mayoral candidate Eric Adams said he would require COVID-19 vaccinations for school children if the FDA approves it. “Yes I would,” Adams said on WCBS Newsradio 880 Friday when asked about the issue.

“This is a city and country where we do vaccinate. So I say yes if its FDA approved we should mandate it.” He added, “It should be in consultation and in conjunction with the unions. I would sit down with union leaders and we will map out a real plan of how we get those officers engaged.” Mayor Bill de Blasio announced the mandate for educators Aug. 23. While teachers may apply for religious exemptions to the vaccine mandate, an option sought by their union, city officials made clear that they did not intend to approve them freely.

Exemption-seekers are required to submit a letter from a clergy member, and a binding agreement between the city and union lays out that “requests shall be denied where the leader of the religious organization has spoken publicly in favor of the vaccine … or where the objection is personal, political or philosophical in nature.” Orthodox media outlets have been pressing de Blasio for natural-immunity data (Jewish Telegraphic Agency).

The Federal Food and Drug Administration is expected to green light the vaccine for kids ages 5 to 11 as early as this month. Adams added that he’d also discuss requiring the shot for other municipal workers besides teachers, like cops and firefighters. Adams has not spoken in detail about vaccine mandates but said in August, prior to the mandate for teachers, that he thought de Blasio was “going in the right direction” on the issue. “I believe there’s a way to work this out,” Adams added (New York Post).