State Department of Health may require flu shots for students 08/28/2020 Health, World The Vermont Department of Health may require school-age children to catch a flu. Commissioner Mark Levine said he was “absolutely” considering mandating the vaccine and would announce a decision within weeks, according to an interview with VPR’s Vermont Edition. Last week, Massachusetts became the first state to require flu shots for its students. All children over the age of six months attending childcare, pre-school, primary school, secondary school or college should receive the vaccine by 31 December, public health officials have announced. Homeschoolers and full-time students are exempt from the rule. Levine told VPR that the topic required more research in Vermont. “It’s obviously a big problem if you mandate something,” he said. “On the one hand, we do not want to add any complexity to going back to school. But on the other hand, if there is a safe and effective vaccine that everyone would benefit from, Massachusetts might not be too far away. ” Health officials around the world are concerned about the convergence of flu season with the Covid-19 pandemic. Getting flu can increase a person’s chances of getting Covid, or lead to more serious symptoms, researchers have hypothesized. Some have worried that more people with flu-like symptoms could increase the demand for Covid tests and other necessary medical supplies. An increase in cases of both diseases, such as a “twindemy”, could overwhelm hospitals. “We are very concerned about the flu season and the double whammy with the flu and Covid-19,” said Vermont’s deputy health commissioner Tracy Dolan. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has strongly encouraged Americans to get flu shots. The faxes have traditionally been voluntary, but in some sectors this may change. For example, the University of California system has required its students, faculty, and staff to receive flu vaccines by November 1. Some employers like health care systems have pushed the idea to require them for workers. The Vermont Department of Health already requires a list of 10 vaccines for children going to school, including chickenpox, polio, and mumps, measles, and mumps. According to the guidance of the department, the annual flu vaccine is recommended. Any changes to that list should be reviewed by an advisory panel, a process that traditionally takes months, according to Dolan. VTDigger is endorsed by: Dolan said she did not know who would be required to get a flu vaccine in the event of a mandate, or if a final decision would be made. “We haven’t talked much about it yet,” she said. The state teachers’ union supports the move, if public health officials deem it necessary, said VT-NEA spokesman Darren Allen. “There are vaccinations that are needed for children to go to school,” Allen said. “If the health department has to adapt it, we support the decisions of medical and public health experts. It keeps our children safe, it keeps our educators safe, it keeps our communities safe. ” Miss nothing. Sign up here to receive VTDigger’s weekly emails about hospitals in Vermont, health care trends, insurance and state health care policies. Related Related Articles 22 mummies have been moved to a brilliant display in Cairo 04/04/2021 The governor of Florida banned the Covid-19 ‘vaccine passport’ 04/04/2021 Virus variants threaten epidemic, scientists say 04/04/2021
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