CDC & Covid-19 Vaccines

Late last week, an advisory committee for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention voted unanimously to add the COVID vaccine to the Federal government’s “Vaccines for Kids” program. Despite reports to the contrary, the vote will not make the vaccine mandatory for Virginia students.

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices voted 15-0 Thursday to add the vaccine to the CDC’s schedule once it becomes commercialized, likely in the summer of 2023. That schedule is related to federal funding for childhood vaccines, not the mandated vaccines for school entry.

While Virginia law does track Federal laws in some instances, it does not do so on vaccine requirements. To add the COVID shot to Virginia’s list of mandated vaccinations, either the General Assembly would have to pass legislation into law, or the Virginia Board of Health would have to go through the standard rule-making process.

There’s more to this in the current issue of the Times Virginian newspaper. Support local journalism by purchasing the issue at a local newsstand or subscribing at www.timesvirginian.com/subscriber_services to receive the print edition or view the full article in the e-edition version.