NYC Schools Require Vaccine For High-Risk Extracurriculars: Mayor

NEW YORK, NY — Public school kids joining the dance team, marching band and other high-risk extracurricular activities will need to have at least one dose of the coronavirus vaccine, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced.

The mayor announced a new vaccine mandate on Friday for students 12 years and older who want to participate in any high-risk extracurricular activity, which includes musical theater, dance team, cheerleading and other performing arts activities.

"Any young person who wants to participate in those activities will have to be vaccinated to do so," de Blasio said on WNYC. "This is according to the CDC and state guidance."

The mandate comes as New York City prepares to welcome back all 1 million public school children to classrooms on Monday for the first time since the coronavirus crisis.

It adds to vaccine requirements already in place for high-risk contact sports and school staff, who must have at least one dose by Sept. 27. Staff in childcare and after-school programs were added to that mandate on Thursday.

De Blasio has so far resisted the idea of putting a vaccine mandate in place for all public schools students eligible for the vaccine, as has been done for children over the age of 12 in Los Angeles.

"That's not on the table right now," he said Friday, noting that it could prevent families from sending their child back to school altogether.

As of Friday, more than 66 percent of children 12 to 17 years old in New York City had at least one dose of the vaccine.

The extracurricular activities included in the new mandate are those where children see close contact with one another. Students will be required to get one dose before the start of the activity.

It will not apply to similar required classes at performing arts schools, de Blasio said.