In the aftermath of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s unanimous vote to add Covid shots to its childhood vaccines schedule, many parents are wondering if their state or public school system will be mandating their kids to get the jabs.
There were a number of governors and attorney generals who made public statements vowing to push back against the CDC’s guidance, which has led to mask and vaccine mandates in numerous states throughout the pandemic.
While the CDC denies that the new vaccination schedule is only a recommendation, the reality is that states and public school districts around the country will take the committee’s recommended schedule and automatically adopt it.
“ACIP (committee) just voted 15:0 to add COVID jabs to 2023 childhood immunization schedule,” Rep. Thomas Massie tweeted. “This will precipitate c-19 vax mandates to attend schools and play sports in many states. Has an EUA shot with so many serious recorded side effects ever been added to this list before?”
The CDC panel on Wednesday opened up its scheduled vote for public comment and received fierce blowback. Tens of thousands of comments poured into the CDC, the great majority seemingly in direct opposition to the vote to add the Covid vaccines to the childhood schedule.
Yet, government agencies have remained tone-deaf to public outcry under the Biden administration. But Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, as usual, led the way in condemning the CDC’s vote.
“There’s been a lot of questions out to our office about the CDC… potentially adding Covid vaccine to the childhood immunization schedule,” DeSantis said. “And I know a lot of parents are concerned about that because if that’s on the immunization schedule, the fear is that schools could potentially mandate your child to get a Covid shot, even if that’s not something that you want to do.”
“So I just want to let everyone be clear. You know, as long as I’m around and as long as I’m kicking and screaming there will be no Covid shot mandates for your kids. That is your decision,” he said.
“That is your decision to make as a parent,” he went on. “These are are new shots. I get a kick at it when people kind of compare it to MMR and stuff. Things that have been around for decades and decades. So parents, by and large, most parents in Florida have opted against doing these booster shots for their — particularly for the young kids. The Surgeon General of Florida does not recommend this for young kids, for kids under, under 18. And basically as reason for that, there’s not really been a proven benefit for that. I mean, we can get into some of the potential side effects. You don’t even really need to do that. Not been a proven benefit.”
But DeSantis isn’t the only governor to push back against the CDC’s hquestionable guidance. Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin also expressed his opposition.
“COVID-19 mandates should be in our rear view mirror,” Youngkin tweeted late Thursday. “The decision to vaccinate a child against COVID-19 is for Virginia parents to make about what’s best for them and their family. We will not adhere to these @CDCgov mandates.”
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee also showed his opposition to the CDC recommendation.
“I’ve always said mandates are the wrong approach and Tennessee has led in pushing back on federal COVID vaccine requirements,” Lee wrote on Twitter. “Thanks to our work with the General Assembly, Tennessee families won’t be impacted by today’s CDC vote. We’ll continue to stand for Tennessee children and for personal freedom.”
According to the National Association for State Health Policy (NASHP), there are 24 states where ‘proof of vaccine’ mandates are banned.