BOSTON (CBS) – Students in Massachusetts no longer need to have the flu to go to school. The Department of Public Health said on Friday it withdrew the vaccine mandate for students, which was announced last summer as “an important part” of keeping hospitalizations low amid the coronavirus pandemic.
DPH cited a mild flu season and a desire to focus on administering coronavirus vaccines in its decision to dismiss the requirement.
“Preliminary data shows that this has been a mild flu season so far, presumably because people have received their seasonal flu vaccine and have adhered to mask use and social distance due to COVID-19,” said DPH in a statement. communicated. “Given the intensive efforts of the entire Community in relation to the COVID-19 vaccination, DPH wishes to ease the burden of obtaining influenza vaccination and focus on continuing our COVID-19 vaccination efforts.”
Massachusetts was the first state to require flu vaccine for elementary, high school and college students.
All people aged 6 months and older in daycare centers, preschools, kindergartens, K-12, colleges and universities in Massachusetts were required to receive their vaccine by the end of February, after the state extended the deadline in December . Some parents protested the new mandate.
The department continues to “strongly recommend” that everyone aged 6 months or older receive a seasonal flu vaccine every year. About 81% of elementary and high school students in Massachusetts received a flu vaccine last year.