In a move that reignites debate over vaccine mandates, Donald Trump signed an executive order Friday that strips federal funding from schools requiring COVID-19 vaccines.
“People wanted that very badly,” Trump remarked after signing the order, which applies strictly to students, not teachers or staff.
The White House justified the move by stating that COVID-19 vaccine mandates were “threatening educational opportunities for students.” In a fact sheet, officials argued, “Parents are being forced into a difficult position: comply with a controversial mandate or risk their child’s educational future.”
Though some states, like California, briefly floated COVID-19 vaccine mandates for students post-pandemic, they quickly abandoned them following backlash from parents.
Trump’s directive also tasks Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the incoming Education Secretary with crafting a plan to “end coercive COVID-19 vaccine mandates” and track compliance across schools.
An unanswered question remains: could this order signal broader federal pressure to roll back other vaccine requirements? Currently, all 50 states mandate certain vaccinations—like those for measles—though many allow religious exemptions.
Trump, who campaigned to eliminate all vaccine and mask mandates, made his stance clear last August: “I will not give one penny to any school that has a vaccine mandate or a mask mandate.”
According to the White House, the order extends to education service agencies at state and local levels, further solidifying Trump’s anti-mandate agenda.
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