Washington D.C. extends COVID-19 vaccine mandate to public schools

Schools in Washington D.C. are now requiring all students who are over the age of 12 to be vaccinated against COVID-19 before returning to school in fall. Students who choose not to get the vaccine are expected to face some consequences with expulsion being on the table.

Students can be granted exemptions if they are able to provide written confirmation that the vaccine would either be detrimental to their health or go against their religious beliefs.

DC Health released a statement on their website confirming this: “DC Public Schools works closely with DC Health to ensure the health and safety of our students, staff, and community. District law and regulations require all schools to ensure students are fully immunized to attend school, and we know that childhood immunizations are critical to keeping our community safe.”

“Now is the time for families to schedule an annual wellness visit with your child’s doctor or attend a neighborhood or school-based vaccine clinic,” the statement continued. “To attend school, families are required to submit their student’s up-to-date immunization record by the first day of school. Vaccinations are critical for preventing disease and reducing the dangers that can come with being exposed to certain diseases…”

It has not yet been confirmed how students who are unvaccinated will continue to learn.

Innovate Schools ran a recent study on how lockdowns and online education affected K12 students in California. The poll showed that out of 6.2 million students in California, 25% of these students lacked the internet speed required to learn whilst 17% didn’t have a computer in their household. In terms of income bracket, 90% of students from high income families regularly attended online classes, whereas 60% from low-income families regularly attended classes.