Will Schools Require the Vaccine for the 2021/2022 School Year?

In this week's coronavirus update, we highlight the current stance on vaccine requirements for K-12 students. We also discuss the current death rate among vaccinated people and what the Delta variant could lead to in the U.S. We also have updated nationwide and worldwide infection numbers for you.

Can Schools Mandate the COVID Vaccine?

The easy answer is no; K-12 schools cannot mandate that students receive the COVID-19 vaccine as a prerequisite for fall enrollment. Vaccine requirements are determined at the state level. Should state legislatures adopt a COVID-19 requirement for school enrollment, then it would become mandatory. California is one state that lets the state health department make those decisions as well. Under California law, the state health department could add a vaccine to the current list of required vaccines, but they have yet to do so.

Vaccines required for school enrollment typically include the following shots: Tdap (Tetanus, Diptheria, and Pertussis), Polio, Hepatitis B, MMR (Measles, Mumps, and Rubella), and Varicella (Chickenpox). Some states, like Texas, also require Hepatitis A, and Meningococcal (MCV3/4). It's important to know your state's vaccine requirement so you are prepared for the next school year.

Are State Legislatures Considering A COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate for Schools?

To date, states are not requiring students to receive the COVID-19 vaccine for the 2021/2022 school year. Dorit Rubinstein Reiss, a public-health law professor at the University of California Hastings College of Law, said it is not surprising because vaccines are not available for children under 12. That may change if the vaccines are made available for children of all ages.

In May, the FDA cleared the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine for use in children ages 12 to 17. So far, about 23% of children 12 and over have received at least one dose. A recent Gallup poll suggests that Americans are in favor of a vaccine requirement. 51% of adults polled are in favor of a COVID vaccine requirement for middle school students and 56% are in favor for a high school requirement.

Why Are Vaccinated People Dying From COVID?

The CDC recently reported that 4,115 people were hospitalized or died from the coronavirus despite being fully vaccinated. This has caused concern over the vaccine's efficacy, but experts say it's nothing to be concerned about. When someone becomes ill after being vaccinated, it is called a "breakthrough case." Vaccines are not 100% effective because everyone reacts and accepts the vaccine differently; therefore, having new cases among the vaccinated population is not uncommon.

The UK is seeing a huge wave of the Delta variant. Nearly 50% of recent COVID deaths in the UK are from the Delta variant. 146,000 cases were identified in the past week alone. Vaccinated people that have died of the Delta variant are in the 50 and above age range. Still, experts say that the numbers indicate that the vaccines are working. Dr. Wingfield, an infectious disease physician in Liverpool, noted that most who come to the hospital with complications from Delta are unvaccinated. Those that are vaccinated are either elderly or have a chronic illness.

Here in the U.S., the Delta variant continues to spread, but there may be a silver lining. The vaccinations and infections are bringing the U.S. towards one thing that would greatly aid in the efforts to suppress the virus, herd immunity. John Hopkins states that herd immunity occurs when most of the population is immune to a disease, thus protecting the remaining population from it. Dr. Scott Gottlieb, a former chief of the Food and Drug Administration, told CBS News' This Week that Delta is spreading so fast, 85% of the U.S. population may soon have some level of immunity to COVID-19.

Latest U.S. Numbers

In the last week there has been a 15% increase in COVID cases in the U.S. Hospitalizations are down 8%, testing has decreased by 17%, and deaths continue to decrease, down by 26%.

States across the nation are starting to have more hot spots, including Arkansas, Nebraska, Missouri, and Texas. The top three states with the most increase in cases are Nebraska, Arkansas, and Nevada. The percentage increase in cases are 135%, 108%, and 81% respectively.

According to the CDC, 157.3 million Americans are fully vaccinated with 182.4 million with at least one dose. That correlates to over 47% are fully vaccinated and about 55% have received one dose.

Latest Worldwide COVID Numbers

The number of cases worldwide is also increasing, with a 6% increase in the total number of cases. Thankfully, the number of deaths has decreased by 18%.

Some countries that are seeing spikes in cases include Libya, Spain, and Kazakhstan. Countries at the very top of the list to consider avoiding include Israel with a 980% increase, the Channel Islands with a 679% increase, Nicaragua with a 659% increase in cases, and Kosovo with a 630% increase in cases.

If you are traveling anytime soon, be sure to check out the appropriate travel requirements. We track each country's testing and vaccination requirements for you, so you don't have to.