Washington, D.C. Students Will Be Required To Be Vaccinated Against COVID-19

Students in Washington, D.C., who are 12 and older will be required to get vaccinated against COVID-19.

If you attend a private school or a public school, no matter what, all students attending any school in Washington, D.C. will have to get vaccinated against COVID-19, according to district law, ABC News reports.

The State Superintendent of Education made the announcement on Tuesday.

“We want to make sure that all of our students have everything they need for a healthy start to the school year,” State Superintendent of Education Dr. Christina Grant said. “This means making sure children see their primary medical provider for a well-child visit and receive all needed immunizations.”

The vaccine requirement will apply to the upcoming 2022-23 school year. Students age 12 – 15 will have to have a primary series of vaccinations by Sept. 16, 2022. Washington, D.C. is following behind California, which announced its COVID-19 vaccination mandate for students last fall.

“The state already requires that students are vaccinated against viruses that cause measles, mumps and rubella — there’s no reason why we wouldn’t do the same for COVID-19,” said California Gov. Gavin Newsom in a statement back in October. “Today’s measure, just like our first-in-the-nation school masking and staff vaccination requirements, is about protecting our children and school staff, and keeping them in the classroom.”