DC calls for vaccines for school children

DC encourages families to vaccinate their school-age children before the next school year.

Why it’s important: Across the country, children have fallen behind in getting their routine vaccinations – which are required by DC to go to school.

• In March 2021, the CDC said that orders for childhood vaccines had dropped by about 11 million doses, and in April, the agency said it saw a drop in kindergarten vaccines.

What they say: According to DC Health senior vice president Thomas Farley, 80% of kindergarten children have received their MMR syringes, which prevent mumps and measles, and 79% have received all doses of the shot that prevent whooping cough. DC did not have data on vaccination beyond kindergarten.

• “These percentages indicate that there are not enough children vaccinated in our district to prevent an outbreak in our schools,” Farley said at an event Monday. This puts even vaccinated children at risk, he stressed.

What happens: DC is expanding its efforts to vaccinate by:

• Allows families to bring their children aged four and up to be vaccinated at any school-based vaccination clinic, wherever they are enrolled;
• Location of mobile units at schools, leisure centers and COVID centers in all eight departments as of August;
• Allows schools to request their own vaccine clinics for students.

DC Health will start calling families this week of students who are not up to date on their vaccinations to encourage them to be vaccinated.

Families have 20 days after school starts to get students caught up on their shots. Mayor Muriel Bowser said Monday that school vaccination requirements will be enforced.

Meanwhile, students 16 years and older are required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 due to a DC law passed last year that requires student vaccinations once the coronavirus vaccine is approved by the FDA for their particular age group.

• Only Pfizer has received FDA approval for its COVID vaccine for people aged 16 to 17. Vaccines for younger age groups have received emergency use authorization.