West Village Pol Wants COVID Vaccine Mandate For NY School Kids

WEST VILLAGE, NY — State Senator Brad Hoylman, who represents the West Village, introduced legislation Tuesday that would require all children in New York to get the COVID-19 vaccine to attend school in the state.

Specifically, the legislation would add immunization against COVID-19 to the list of vaccines kids are already required to receive to go to school in New York.

The mandate would take effect 30 days after full FDA approval of a COVID vaccine for children and upon the recommendation by the CDC'S Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.

At the moment, the vaccine is only available to people aged 12 and over.

Earlier this week, the FDA granted full approval of the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine for people 16 and older.

"We’re at 19 months into the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States and hospitalizations for children sick with COVID-19 are currently at a record high," Hoylman said in a news release. "We must do everything we can to make sure there never is a pediatric ICU bed shortage in New York State, and that means requiring immunization against COVID-19 for school children once we know they are safe and effective."

Hoylman points to the needed push for the population to increase vaccination rates to above 80 or 90 percent for COVID-19.

Under current New York State law, children attending both public or private school in the state are required to receive vaccinations for the following illnesses and diseases: polio, mumps, measles, diphtheria, rubella, varicella, Haemophilus influenzae type b, pertussis, tetanus, pneumococcal disease, meningococcal disease and hepatitis b.

Hoylman has been a consistent early advocate for vaccines before and throughout the coronavirus pandemic, including participating in multiple COVID-19 vaccine trials over the past year and a half.