[ad_1]
In a letter to California Governor Gavin Newsom, Sequoia Union High School District officials implored him to work with other senior officials on a COVID-19 vaccine mandate, removing the decision from the hands of non-medical professionals .
“Allow educators to do what we do best, educate students. Under the current system, school districts are forced to act as medical experts while being squarely placed in the middle of political divisions, ”the letter read.
The five board directors, Superintendent Dr. Darnise Williams and San Mateo County Superintendent Nancy Magee signed the letter urging state officials to add COVID-19 vaccinations to the list of vaccinations required for the school attendance.
This would prohibit children eligible for the vaccine from going to school if they are unable to present vaccination documents or qualifications for exemptions as has been done for measles, mumps, chickenpox and d ‘other infectious diseases.
A similar warrant was issued for school staff, requiring employees to check their immunization status or submit to weekly tests. Board chairman Alan Sarver said most Sequoia Union High School District employees have been vaccinated, but student immunization figures are incomplete as the district has not been in able to fully collect this information.
Children aged 12 and older became eligible for the Pfizer vaccine in May following emergency federal approval. Since then, families have had wide access to doses through their private health care providers and county-sponsored clinics, including on school campuses.
Full federal approval was also granted to Pfizer for doses intended for people 16 years and older at the end of August. County health officials have shared hope that full approval for 12-15 year olds will occur early next year and emergency approval for children under 12 will be given. this autumn.
“The vaccines have been declared safe by medical authorities and the next appropriate step is to add them to the list of preventive pandemic vaccinations that have long been part of the California educational code,” said Sarver.
Without a mandate to vaccinate students statewide, school officials with no medical training were tasked with determining whether to mandate vaccines within a limited scope. Although districts are not allowed to adopt a policy that prohibits students from going to school without injection, this can prevent participation in non-core program activities.
The San Mateo Union High School District recently took on the issue and chose to put its decision on hold after strong community reluctance said the measure would be divisive and unfair.
“Administrators have always said they would like to see more students vaccinated,” said district superintendent Kevin Skelly, noting that the board had not specifically discussed a school-wide mandate. .
Acknowledging the heated debates around vaccines and vaccine mandates, Sarver said the district’s declaration should not be seen as political but rather as a proactive appeal to state leaders and medical experts to “make the right decision. levels ”.
“Schools are placed directly in the middle of a firestorm,” Sarver said. “Schools have a mission to educate our students and keep them safe and healthy and on campus to the greatest extent possible. The decision on vaccinations should be left to healthcare professionals. “
The district also claims that without a warrant, “two Californias within our state” are being created. While fiscally larger school districts have the means to develop immunization pathways and networks, smaller, less financially stable districts may require additional state assistance.
Although the district is the first in the county to send such a letter to state officials, Patricia Love, a spokesperson for the county’s education office, said Magee also intends to send his own. letter of support and predicts that other districts will follow.
The Belmont-Redwood Shores School District has not formally drafted a position statement, but Superintendent Dan Deguara said “it is fair to say that our general perception is consistent with that of the American Academy of Pediatrics and Children’s Hospitals in North America – that the vaccines reviewed by the FDA are the most effective way to mitigate the spread and severity of disease caused by COVID-19 infections. “
Likewise, Diego Ochoa, superintendent of the San Mateo-Foster City school district, has expressed strong support for the vaccination of students. The district has also not taken a formal position on a mandate to vaccinate students, but Ochoa said he would continue to encourage all students to be vaccinated when they are eligible.
Since San Mateo County is only one of 58 in the state, Love said a united front would be needed to persuade lawmakers to take action, a view shared by Sarver.
“It is the right thing to do and as encouragement like this comes from a wider range of places in the educational community, it will become increasingly clear that this is a way for the state to fully support all schools, ”Sarver said. . “We should do it exactly this way with this effective and safe vaccine. “
(650) 344-5200 ext 106
[ad_2]
Source link