Legislation prohibiting the Kentucky Department of Education from requiring COVID vaccinations for school attendance is before the full House. The bill got backing Thursday from the House Health Services Committee. Shawn McPherson is a representative from Scottsville. McPherson said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention could recommend COVID shots for school students and the DOE follow that suggestion.
“And so, if they did that, we would be out of session. They could require that every child in the State of Kentucky have a COVID shot before they go back to school next fall. This bill prohibits that,” said McPherson.
Committee Chair Kim Moser said the bill, in no way, diminishes the value of vaccines, it just gives parents a choice for this specific vaccine. Voting "no" on the bill was Louisville Representative Rachel Roarx. She said vaccinations have been required in public schools for a long time. Roarx added there are alternatives like homeschooling.
“And I think in our public settings we have a social responsibility to ensure that we are vaccinating against diseases of various, diseases viruses,” said Roarx.
The Kentucky Department of Education offered this reaction to House Bill 101, attributed to Communications Officer Toni Konz Tatman.
“The Kentucky Board of Education had no regulations requiring COVID vaccines in schools and had no plans to enact any. This is a solution to a non-existent problem.”
The bill now goes on to the full House.
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