Even though Gov. Mike DeWine signed a bill last week that prohibits public K-12 schools and colleges from mandating students or staff to get COVID vaccines, that doesn’t mean some can’t require that next month at the beginning of this upcoming school year.
DeWine said if some public colleges and schools want to require COVID vaccines at the start of the school year, they “have every right to do that.” The new law won’t go into effect for 90 days. DeWine is hoping by then the FDA will give COVID vaccines, now used on an emergency basis, full approval.
“We hope it will be in the fall. Frankly the sooner the better. Frankly, this is a vaccine that has been utilized by hundreds of millions of people and there’s a lot of experience with its use,” DeWine said.
When approval comes, the law will no longer apply to COVID vaccines. The governor said his administration will be giving schools guidance on preventing the spread of COVID this year, noting children under 12 cannot be vaccinated now.
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