MDH Has 'No Plans' To Require MN School Children Get COVID Vaccine

TWIN CITIES, MN — The Minnesota Department of Health said it is not planning on requiring school children to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.

"There are no plans to pursue this requirement," MDH spokesman Garry Bowman told Patch in an email.

Last week, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted to add the COVID-19 vaccine to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's child and adolescent immunization schedule.

The CDC can make recommendations for vaccines, but all school-entry vaccination requirements are solely determined by state and local governments.

Minnesota currently requires the following vaccines before children can enroll in a public or private kindergarten:

• Diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (DTaP)
• Polio
• Measles, mumps, rubella (MMR)
• Hepatitis B (Hep B)
• Varicella (chickenpox)

Any change to Minnesota's list of school-entry vaccines would have to follow a strict rulemaking process outlined in state law.