Both public and private students at “elementary and secondary schools” will be required to be vaccinated for in-person learning starting the academic term or semester following full approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration of the vaccine for their grade span – 7-12 and K-6.
That could mean vaccination requirements taking effect on Jan. 1 or July 1 for grades 7-12, whichever date comes first following approval.
Approval for grades K-6 is expected to come later in a second phase of requirements, the governor added.
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As I understand it, the only FDA approved vaccine is COMIRNATY. But (1) COMIRNATY is only approved for ages 16 and above, so it can’t be administered to children K-6 and 7-whenever the student turns 16. And (2) I don’t think COMIRNATY is presently given in the US. COMIRNATY will be produced and distributed by Pfizer, but they are at present (again, as far as I know) only using the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid 19 vaccine, which, (again as far as I know) is only presently given to ages 12+. Probably this will be reduced to a lower age, but in any case the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is only administered under the Emergency Use Authorization and does not carry FDA approval. Things can change, but at this time I don’t see how the governor’s order can be put into effect.
I’m basing my answers on the two letters the FDA send to Pfizer and BioNTech on August 23. See https://www.fda.gov/media/150386/download and https://www.fda.gov/media/151710/download
ThankQ for that info!