As schools across the state consider plans for returning to full-time, in-person instruction, one hotly debated topic both in Illinois and across the nation is whether or not vaccinations should be mandatory for students.
State Sen. John Curran (R-Lemont) recently took to social media to share his opinion on the subject, sharing as well a link to a Daily Herald article in which he was quoted.
“This will certainly be a topic of a great deal of discussion over the next few months,” Curran said in a post to his official Facebook page. “As I state in this article, I do not support mandatory vaccinations for school children.”
Pfizer has reported a successful trial of its vaccine on children between the ages of 12 and 15, according to the Daily Herald. The next step is for the company to apply for emergency use authorization with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for that age group.
Michael Bauer, medical director at Northwestern Lake Forest Hospital, told the Daily Herald that, similar to many employers, he expects most schools will stop short of mandating vaccinations for students.
At the same time, while it is likely the Pfizer vaccine will be approved for high school-aged children in time for the start of the school year, the Daily Herald reported that it is not a certainty.
Additionally, while some vaccinations such as the one for measles are mandatory in most schools, others such as the one for the flu are not, the Daily Herald reported.
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