PA Officials Discuss COVID Mitigation In Schools: Latest Updates

PENNSYLVANIA — There are no current plans to make the COVID-19 vaccine a requirement for students in Pennsylvania schools, health officials said during a news briefing on Monday, as they announced further plans to help mitigate the virus in schools.

Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine added that there are also no plans to use schools to distribute the vaccine. Instead, it's likely this will be done through family doctors, healthcare providers, and pharmacies.

"There are no plans to make it required for anyone, including school children," Levine said, noting that there are still not enough studies completed on the vaccine in children. "We'll wait and see what the science tells us. We expect it to be safe and effective, but we have to prove that."

Officials expressed confidence in the coming vaccines, and that November, December, and January would represent the worst of the virus. The state passed 10,000 coronavirus deaths last week, as the death rate continues a "concerning" rise, much of it outside of long term care facilities this time around. Officials said Monday that there are 4,405 patients hospitalized due to the virus around the state, and that many healthcare facilities are strained beyond what they saw during the first surge of the virus in the spring.

"Efforts will focus on ensuring the entire population will have access to the vaccine," a spokesperson for the Department of Health said in an email to Patch Monday. "Until the CDC (provides) further information, there will be no requirements for the vaccine to be mandatory."

Vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna could arrive as soon as December for hospital workers deemed at high risk of exposure to the virus. Officials at both the state and county level have been preparing infrastructure for the eventual distribution of the vaccine for months. The state has laid out a three-phase plan for distribution.

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Of all the disruptions caused by the virus, the impact on schools has been one of the most persistent and concerning. As part of the mitigation effort, the state announced on Monday that they'd expanded access to their COVID-19 app to now include children as young as 13.

"The Pennsylvania Department of Education is issuing a call to action to all youth in our commonwealth," Acting Secretary of Education Noe Ortega said. "Help keep yourself, your families, and your communities safe by utilizing your phone in the fight against the spread of this disease."

The free COVID Alert PA app, which tracks your location, your health, and your potential exposure to positive individuals, had previously only been available to residents 18 and older. The app, developed by the state with help from MIT and the University of Pennsylvania, has been an important tool utilized by contact tracers, officials said.

In order for children to use the app, parents must first agree to it.

The news comes as the state continues to play largely an advisory role to local school districts and counties, with both Levine and Ortega reiterating that their policies are designed to "honor local control."

There are currently no plans to issue additional mandatory closures or lockdowns, officials said Monday.

The state recommends that all school districts within counties that are at "substantial" risk of community transmission move to fully virtual instruction. This guidance now includes nearly every county in the entire state.