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A COVID-19 vaccine mandate for Colorado schoolchildren? Not so fast, say public health officials

State ‘unlikely’ to require COVID-19 shots to attend school before full FDA approval

Jessica Seaman
The Denver Post
Camden VanBuskirk, 5, gets her first COVID-19 vaccine shot from medical assistant Yaa Prempeh, left, with her mother Monica, right, at West High School in Denver on Tuesday, Nov. 16, 2021.
Hyoung Chang, The Denver Post

Coloradans ages 5 to 11 are now eligible to get vaccinated against the coronavirus, but the state health department and school districts aren’t rushing to require the shots to attend school.

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment is “unlikely” to require COVID-19 vaccines for K-12 students before the U.S. Food and Drug Administration fully approves Pfizer’s shot for children, said an agency spokesperson in an email.

Schools have required certain vaccines for students for decades and public health experts said a mandate could help increase uptake among families hesitant about the shots.



The debate over whether to mandate COVID-19 vaccines for schoolchildren is still in its infancy — California is the first state to require the shots for schools — although Colorado does have a patchwork of requirements for adults in certain professions. For example, health care workers are required to get the shots.

Read more via the Denver Post.

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