The Centers for Disease Control received a unanimous recommendation from its advisory panel that schools add COVID vaccines to their list of required vaccines for students. The CDC adopted the recommendation but has no power to mandate what any state or local school district decides.
Tucker Carlson of FOX News declared on the air that the CDC was mandating that all school children receive the COVID vaccine, and GOP officials panicked.
Governor Glen Youngkin of Virginia won election vowing to protect “parental right”to refuse public health measures like vaccines and masks. He was quick to promise to refuse to obey the non-existent mandate from the CDC. “
COVID-19 mandates should be in our rear view mirror,” the Republican governor tweeted. “The decision to vaccinate a child against COVID-19 is for Virginia parents to make about what’s best for them and their family. We will not adhere to these @CDCgov mandates. In Virginia, parents matter.”
Youngkin got his information from Tucker Carlson, not the CDC.
The tweet was likely inspired by a segment that aired on Tucker Carlson Tonight on Fox News earlier this week, during which host Tucker Carlson said “This week, the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices is expected to add the COVID-19 vax to the list of required childhood vaccines. If this happens, your children will not be able to attend school without taking the COVID shot.”
But the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have never mandated any COVID-19 vaccines for adults or children. While the CDC’s advisory committee on vaccines did approve adding COVID-19 vaccines to the recommended schedule of immunizations for both children and adults this week, that list is only a recommendation for states.. The CDC recommends vaccines; state health agencies choose whether to mandate them.
Millions of Carlson’s viewers believed him. He was wrong.
The Attorneys General in a dozen states urged the CDC to withdraw its recommendation.
Blake Masters, GOP candidate for Senate in Arizona, criticized the CDC for its “mandate.”
The Trump administration’s Surgeon General spoke out against Carlson’s fake news:
“This is an all new level of dangerous misinformation,” Jerome M. Adams, who served as U.S. surgeon general during the Trump administration and as Indiana’s top health official, wrote in a text message to The Washington Post. “It could both harm kids (by derailing the VFC program, which helps disadvantaged children access vaccines) and endanger health officials (due to angry misinformed parents). We need to be able to have honest conversations about pros and cons of vaccinating children, without resorting to blatant misinformation.”
The CDC felt compelled to issue a statement clarifying that it can recommend vaccines but only states can mandate them.
Meanwhile the state of Virginia does in fact mandate many vaccines for children who enroll in school.
SCHOOL REQUIREMENTS
School and Day Care Minimum Immunization Requirements
Documentary proof shall be provided of adequate age appropriate immunization with the prescribed number of doses of vaccine indicated below for attendance at a public or private elementary, middle or secondary school, child care center, nursery school, family day care home or developmental center. Vaccines must be administered in accordance with the harmonized schedule of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, American Academy of Pediatrics, and American Academy of Family Physicians and must be administered within spacing and age requirements (available at https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/immunization/immunization-manual/acip/).
Children vaccinated in accordance with either the current harmonized schedule or the harmonized catch-up schedules (including meeting all minimum age and interval requirements) are considered to be appropriately immunized for school attendance. (See “Supplemental Guidance for School-required Vaccines” for additional information.)
Diphtheria, Tetanus, & Pertussis (DTaP, DTP, or Tdap)A minimum of 4 properly spaced doses. A child must have at least one dose of DTaP or DTP vaccine on or after the fourth birthday. DT (Diphtheria, Tetanus) vaccine is required for children who are medically exempt from the pertussis-containing vaccine (DTaP or DTP). Adult Td is required for children 7 years of age and older who do not meet the minimum requirements for tetanus and diphtheria. Effective A booster dose of the Tdap vaccine is required for all children entering the 7th grade.
Haemophilus Influenzae Type b (Hib)This vaccine is required ONLY for children up to 60 months of age. A primary series consists of either 2 or 3 doses (depending on the manufacturer). However, the child’s current age and not the number of prior doses received govern the number of doses required. Unvaccinated children between the ages of 15 and 60 months are only required to have one dose of vaccine.
Hepatitis A (HAV)Effective July 1, 2021, a minimum of 2 doses of Hepatitis A vaccine. The first dose should be administered at age 12 months or older.
Hepatitis BA complete series of 3 properly spaced doses of hepatitis B vaccine are required for all children. However, the FDA has approved a 2-dose schedule ONLY for adolescents 11-15 years of age AND ONLY when the Merck Brand (RECOMBIVAX HB) Adult Formulation Hepatitis B Vaccine is used. If the 2-dose schedule is used for adolescents 11-15 years of age it must be clearly documented on the school form.
Human Papillomavirus (HPV)Effective July 1, 2021, a complete series of 2 doses of HPV vaccine is required for students entering the 7th grade. The first dose shall be administered before the child enters the 7th grade. After reviewing educational materials approved by the Board of Health, the parent or guardian, at the parent’s or guardian’s sole discretion, may elect for the child not to receive the HPV vaccine.
Measles, Mumps, & Rubella (MMR)A minimum of 2 measles, 2 mumps, and 1 rubella. (Most children receive 2 doses of each because the vaccine usually administered is the combination vaccine MMR). The first dose must be administered at age 12 months or older. The second dose of vaccine must be administered prior to entering kindergarten but can be administered at any time after the minimum interval between dose 1 and dose 2.
Meningococcal Conjugate (MenACWY)Effective July 1, 2021, a minimum of 2 doses of MenACWY vaccine. The first dose should be administered prior to entering 7th grade. The final dose should be administered prior to entering 12th grade. See supplemental guidance document for additional information.
Pneumococcal (PCV) This vaccine is required ONLY for children less than 60 months of age. One to four doses, dependent on age at first dose, of the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, are required.
Polio (IPV)A minimum of 4 doses of polio vaccine. One dose must be administered on or after the fourth birthday. See supplemental guidance document for additional information.RotavirusThis vaccine is required ONLY for children less than 8 months of age. Effective July 1, 2021, 2 or 3 doses of Rotavirus Vaccine (dependent upon the manufacturer) is required.
Varicella (Chickenpox)All children born on and after January 1, 1997, shall be required to have one dose of chickenpox vaccine administered at age 12 months or older. Effective March 3, 2010, a second dose must be administered prior to entering kindergarten but can be administered at any time after the minimum interval between dose 1 and dose 2.
Do Virginia parents have the right to refuse all the vaccines above? Why is it only the COVID vaccine that is a matter of parental rights?
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Imagine knowing one’s entire agenda is a lie and still promoting it until financial death. That’s bad enough. Now imagine as many as 40-50%+1 Americans of voting age doing the same thing.
Drawers still clean?
“Millions of Carlson’s viewers believed him. He was wrong.”
Tell us something we didn’t already know.
True to form, Pucker C causes
pucker…
Why is it only the COVID vaccine …
Children vaccinated in accordance
with either the current harmonized
schedule or the harmonized catch-up
schedules are considered to be
appropriately IMMUNIZED…
im·mu·nize..
[ˈimyəˌnīz]
VERB.
immunized (past tense) ·
immunized (past participle)
make (a person or animal)
IMMUNE to infection,
typically by inoculation.
As it stands, the C-vac
may reduce symptoms, or
severity,
BUT it doesn’t stop
infection.
I just got the latest COVID invariant booster.
My fifth shot.
So far, so good.
Knock wood.
No COVID even though I lived in same space with partner who had it.
Covariant, not invariant
Covariant = COVID variant?
On Sept 20th we returned from the UK . We had had 4 shots the last ones in March . On the 23rd I had an appointment for the Covariant booster and Flu shot . Feeling a little sniffle I decided to test . Long story short the wife and I were positive. The wife who had drug conflicts took Monoclonal antibodies and was fine the next morning . The Paxlovid I took worked great by the next morning. 7 days later I was positive again. But other than a persistent nasal drip and clogged Eustachian tubes was fine.
Science works ! I am glad the right don’t believe in it. Too bad Darwin wont come into play. Perhaps the next time.
The cost of the vaccine is soon going to be over $100 for those without insurance. Pfizer plans to raise the cost to about $130 and Moderna will almost certainly follow suit.
There are still an estimated 4 million children in the US who are not covered by health insurance. Their parents are the least able to pay for the vaccine.
And the vaccine is no longer free for those without health insurance.
And 9% of US adults have no health insurance.
Unfortunately, the pandemic is not over , no matter how much some people want to believe it.
And effectively putting the vaccine out of reach for millions of people here in the US and billions worldwide by making it too expensive is not a particularly good strategy to end the pandemic.
I shouldn’t have said “to end the pandemic” because the vaccine won’t end it.
The vaccine doesn’t prevent COVID of course, but it greatly reduces the severity (including possible death) and the fewer the number of people who get the vaccine, the greater the number who will die and have long COVID.
Putting a high price on the vaccine will almost certainly lead to unnecessary deaths.
We need a vaccine that prevents Carlsonoma. Or maybe Carlsonitis. Perhaps Carlson-onset Dementia
A**hole Carlsonoma
The proctologist’s nightmare
I wish the CDC had waited until after the midterms to make this recommendation.
Of course the Republicans are going to seize on it as another “Big Government” mandate. Stoke the fears and resentment that Trump so successfully sowed during his administration and since.
Tucker Carlson is terrible and it’s frightening that so many people hang on his every word.
So what is it about the current Republican Party that requires they follow comic book characters?
“ So what is it about the current Republican Party that requires they follow comic book characters?”
Not so funny that you’d ask that question, Paul.
The “Education Reform” movement has been going full tilt for about two decades, now. Twenty years is plenty of time for it’s effects to bear fruit. And the voting public could be seen as a litmus test for the success of those changes.
I can remember posts, through the years, by Bob Shepherd and others (you, by any chance?), talking about the dumbing down of mainstream America through sub standard public education that, among other things, de-emphasizes critical thinking in favor of basic acceptance of text “facts” (close reading). Mainly rooted in non-fiction passages. The theory is that this change of educational philosophy is deliberate and calculated to produce a more compliant, easily led “work force”.
Forgive me if you know all this…it’s just that it immediately popped into my mind when you mentioned comic book characters. Although there are many sophisticated forms of graphic novel writing; many people focus on the more basic form. Comic book characters (heroes and villains) are easy to identify with and worship or hate. Comic books are popular. Might just be a passing fancy…but not so funny that you’d mention that.
I don’t know that I was attempting to be funny. I remember being puzzled as a youth by the fact that people followed Mussolini and Hitler who seemed to be so interesting in aspect. When reading comic books as a child and watching superhero movies later I thought these were extreme characters. However, seeing individuals such as Bannon, Stone, and Flynn I have come to the conclusion that too many are attracted to these characters. The fascination with villains has become too real.
Didn’t really mean you were trying to be funny. I definitely get what you’re saying.