Republican governors around the country are saying “no” to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s committee recommendation that Covid-19 vaccines will be included in the regularly scheduled shots for children.
On Thursday, the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices voted unanimously to add the shot to the long list of immunizations that children get in America, a list that is followed by pediatricians, parents, schools, and others who follow the health of children.
If the director of the CDC accepts the committee’s recommendation — and she almost certainly will — some states will automatically adopt them for children who enter Head Start, preschool, or regular school, which would mean a vaccine-like product that is still authorized under an emergency order would be used on children.
“As long as I am governor, in Florida there will not be a Covid-19 vaccine mandate for children in our schools,” said Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, in response to the CDC’s still-advisory recommendation. “I get a kick out of it when people kind of compare it to (measles, mumps and rubella shots) and things that have been around for decades and decades. These are new shots.”
“Under my watch, there will be no COVID vaccine mandates for kids — period,” said Gov. Kim Reynolds of Iowa. “In fact, we signed a law that prevents it. It’s the parent’s decision, not the government’s.”
“I will never mandate the COVID-19 vaccine for Idahoans of any age group, especially children,” said Gov. Brad Little of Idaho. “As long as I am governor, that decision will be determined solely by parents, families and individual citizens.”
In Alaska, there is no such trigger, and Gov. Mike Dunleavy and the Department of Law have fought all such mandates, including joining lawsuits to protect National Guard personnel from having to be vaccinated. It’s expected he would not allow a vaccine mandate to be in effect with children, based on his past stance on medical freedom.
The same CDC committee earlier this year had recommended that infants who are older than six months get a Covid vaccine, and any boosters that come on the market when they are eligible for it.
In June, CDC Director Rochelle P. Walensky, M.D., M.P.H., endorsed the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices’ recommendation that all children 6 months through 5 years of age should receive a Covid-19 vaccine. Adding them to the list of scheduled vaccinations makes it more likely the shots will be required in jurisdictions around the country who care for children.
