The Washington Examiner reports that California is now set to become the first state to force young schoolchildren to get vaccinated against the coronavirus.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) announced the mandate on Friday.
“Once the FDA approves the vaccination in different cohorts starting with 12 and above, grades seven to 12, we will begin to apply that requirement in the next term, either Jan. 1 or July 1, whichever comes sooner,” Newsom said.
Thus far, the federal government has approved the coronavirus vaccine for youngsters 16 years of age and older. Emergency authorization, however, has been granted for those in the 12 to 15 age group.
Background
California has been at the forefront of forcing Americans to get the coronavirus vaccine.
Back in June, California was the first state in the nation to require all state employees and healthcare workers to either get vaccinated against the coronavirus or to undergo regular coronavirus testing. A couple of months later, in August, California announced a vaccine mandate for school teachers and school staff, again requiring either vaccination or weekly testing.
Now, Newsom is turning his attention to children.
This will be the most controversial mandate yet for any number of reasons. These reasons would include the fact that children are at an extremely low risk of experiencing coronavirus complications, that we still don’t know the long-term effects of coronavirus vaccines, and that the vaccines neither prevent someone from getting the coronavirus nor from spreading it.
Newsom responds
On Friday, Newsom appeared on CNN where he attempted to defend his vaccine mandate for school children.
“Look, we already mandate 10 vaccines,” Newsom argued. “This is a significant announcement, but it’s probably the most predictable announcement. We require for mumps and measles and rubella and so many other diseases. We require vaccinations, and yet there’s something about this disease that’s become so polarized and so divisive, and it’s tragic.”
Newsom did not address the fact that his analogy doesn’t hold up to scrutiny. Rather, he insisted on a propaganda campaign that would include reminding parents “of all the vaccines their kids are already safely taking and why this is just another of the many, many doses of vaccines that are extending their lives and keeping broadly our society healthy.”
We’ll have to see if California parents buy what Newsom is selling here. But, there is little doubt that other liberal states will now try to follow in Newsom’s footsteps.
The post Report: CA will become the first state to mandate coronavirus vaccination for school children first appeared on Conservative Institute.
No comments: