FAQ: Can NC schools make students get COVID vaccines? Will they?
With close to half of all teens and nearly 10% of children 11 or under vaccinated at least partially in North Carolina, some parents wonder whether schools will one day require COVID-19 vaccination as a condition of being in classrooms.
Few public schools in North Carolina right now require vaccines even for adults.
Public opinion polling has been mixed on whether parents support adding COVID-19 shots to the list of required immunizations for K-12 students. Meanwhile, many colleges are already requiring vaccines.
With the exception of added authority over extra-circular program rules, K-12 schools statewide have limited ability to impose vaccine requirements for students — with ultimate power resting at the state level, with a board that sets rules for all public education programs. Generally when putting conditions on school enrollment, officials must proceed with caution to avoid potentially disenfranchising or interrupting residents’ rights to K-12 public education.
In Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, teachers are required to undergo regular COVID-19 testing if they aren’t vaccinated or show proof of vaccination. While the district strongly recommends students get the shot when eligible, CMS isn’t currently considering adding mandatory vaccines.
“We are aware of no discussions about making COVID vaccines mandatory for students,” said Patrick Smith, the assistant superintendent of communications for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools.
Here are answers to some frequently asked questions.
Who can require NC students get vaccinated?
Catie Armstrong, of the office of communications in the NC Department of Health and Human Services, told the Observer on Thursday that the Commission for Public Health, an independent board created to adopt rules to “protect and promote public health,” is the designated rule-making agency.
“(The process) starts with meeting the standards of the Food and Drug Administration, CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization recommendations, and input from stakeholders,” she said.
If a new immunization is added in North Carolina, the state commission would propose an effective date. So far, there’s no indication, at least publicly, that state leaders will add a COVID-19 to the required list.
Vaccine requirements for children in most states is unlikely to be fully considered until one or more of the manufacturers are awarded full FDA approval, not just emergency authorization, experts have said.
On Nov. 2, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 for children ages 5 to 11. Teens 12 and older have been eligible since May. While Pfizer shots for adults have achieved full FDA approval, that hasn’t happened yet for youth.
What vaccines are required now?
Getting a series of required vaccinations ahead of going to public school is not new.
All children in North Carolina are required to be vaccinated against 12 different diseases.
That list includes diphtheria, the measles, mumps, whooping cough, pneumococcal and the chicken pox. The CDC also recommends children be vaccinated against Hepatitis A, influenza, rotavirus and the human papillomavirus, but immunization against those diseases is not required for children in the state, according to the N.C. DHHS.
In North Carolina, vaccination records are checked when a child is enrolled in school or a child care facility. “Children are not allowed to attend school (whether public, private or religious) or a child care facility unless they have received all required immunizations appropriate for their age,” DHHS’ website says. Immunization records are checked at child care entry and kindergarten and seventh-grade entry.
Certain medical and religious exemptions are allowed under state law. This fall, Jeff Hirsch, a UNC School of Law professor who specializes in civil rights, discrimination and labor and employment law, told The News & Observer that schools have long required students “to get multiple vaccinations, and the courts have upheld that authority.”
What are other districts doing?
Warren County Schools are requiring all student-athletes be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to its website. Student-athletes were required to receive a second dose of the vaccine by Nov. 8. Those who did not meet the deadline to be fully vaccinated aren’t allowed to participate in athletic activities, including off-season conditioning or workouts.
The News & Observer reported in August that despite recommendations from the district staff to require vaccination as a condition of playing a sport or joining an extracurricular activity in middle or high school, the Orange County school board did not add that requirement. Still, students in activities beyond the classroom must undergo testing twice a week for COVID-19. That testing includes students who want to be a cheerleader or join the band, chorus or theater.
In CMS, there are no additional vaccine requirements for extracurricular activities beyond those mandated for students by state health officials, Smith said.
Why should children get the COVID-19 vaccine?
The CDC recommends children ages 5 and older get the COVID-19 vaccine because widespread vaccination “is a critical tool to best protect everyone, officials said.
According to its website, although children are at a lower risk of becoming severely ill with COVID-19 compared with adults, children can still be infected with the virus, get very sick, have both short and long-term health complications and spread COVID-19 to others.
This story was originally published November 19, 2021 at 11:04 AM.
