Bowser Announces Vaccine Mandate for DCPS and Charter Personnel and Student Athletes (over 12)

[Anonymous]

I do agree that it seems odd to mandate vaccines for athletes but not other activities. I don’t think my kid playing baseball or cross country is any more at risk of exposure than being with kids in model UN club after school.

I’m not trying to make it a debate and I’m happy about this update. My middle school athlete is happily vaccinated.

Why not mandate for all students 16+ and all 12+ that want to participate in any after school activity?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I do agree that it seems odd to mandate vaccines for athletes but not other activities. I don’t think my kid playing baseball or cross country is any more at risk of exposure than being with kids in model UN club after school.

I’m not trying to make it a debate and I’m happy about this update. My middle school athlete is happily vaccinated.

Why not mandate for all students 16+ and all 12+ that want to participate in any after school activity?

It’s based on CDC guidelines finding that sports and singing activities contribute to significantly higher rates of spread than other forms of activity

[Anonymous]

Thank god. Teachers need to be vaccinated.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I do agree that it seems odd to mandate vaccines for athletes but not other activities. I don’t think my kid playing baseball or cross country is any more at risk of exposure than being with kids in model UN club after school.

I’m not trying to make it a debate and I’m happy about this update. My middle school athlete is happily vaccinated.

Why not mandate for all students 16+ and all 12+ that want to participate in any after school activity?

It’s based on CDC guidelines finding that sports and singing activities contribute to significantly higher rates of spread than other forms of activity

So why not chorus?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I do agree that it seems odd to mandate vaccines for athletes but not other activities. I don’t think my kid playing baseball or cross country is any more at risk of exposure than being with kids in model UN club after school.

I’m not trying to make it a debate and I’m happy about this update. My middle school athlete is happily vaccinated.

Why not mandate for all students 16+ and all 12+ that want to participate in any after school activity?

It’s based on CDC guidelines finding that sports and singing activities contribute to significantly higher rates of spread than other forms of activity

Forgot about CDC, there is nothing saying you can’t be more conservative with vaccines. Mandate it for everything to encourage more teens to get vaccinated.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hmm perhaps my child will make the basketball team then. I was preparing my “good try” speech.

+1. Was thinking the same thing!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am all for people getting vaccinated.

However, why is it that those in the age range for 12-15 have a mandate when it is still EUA for them?

Because participating in a sport isn’t a right. Attending public school is. So you can attend school without getting vaccinated while the vaccine is under EUA, but you can’t participate in optional activities.

+1

Once the vaccine is fully approved for 12-15, they can mandate it for school attendance. Until then, extracurriculars are a legal target.

So why not all extracurriculars?
How about the school play?
Dance at Ellington?

I'd be curious to hear how Covid has impacted these extracurriculars. Are they doing plays in masks? Or outdoors? Or scrapping them altogether? It's hard to imagine them having public performances in indoor venues. Maybe the drama clubs are making videos outside, I don't know. If someone does, they should share.

Dance is part of the curriculum at Ellington, so it's harder to make the argument there. They aren't making kids vaccinate for P.E. class either, which is more analagous. Plus there are lots of ways to minimize spread in dance (focus on solos, limit rehearsals to just one or two kids, masking, etc.). Those things aren't possible in a sport like basketball or soccer, especially during competition.

But they did not call out basketball or soccer - it is all So why is Archery treated different from dance?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hmm perhaps my child will make the basketball team then. I was preparing my “good try” speech.

+1. Was thinking the same thing!

Can you say more about why you think your kid will now make the team? And NP you as well?

[Anonymous]

Best believe it will be mandated once fully FDA approved.

[Anonymous]

For anyone in school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I do agree that it seems odd to mandate vaccines for athletes but not other activities. I don’t think my kid playing baseball or cross country is any more at risk of exposure than being with kids in model UN club after school.

I’m not trying to make it a debate and I’m happy about this update. My middle school athlete is happily vaccinated.

Why not mandate for all students 16+ and all 12+ that want to participate in any after school activity?

It’s based on CDC guidelines finding that sports and singing activities contribute to significantly higher rates of spread than other forms of activity

So why not chorus?

I suspect the reason is purely administrative. Sports already require a bunch of paperwork for participation, mandated by DCPS. Other activities are much more ad hoc, with no central DCPS involvement. They would have to create new systems for collecting paperwork and tracking vax status.

[Anonymous]

Everyone using government owned buildings should be vaccinated if eligible. You don’t want to be vaccinated - no school/job/sports/band /play whatever. This should have been mandated prior to school day one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This should apply to DPR employees too.

Aren't they already included as DC government employees?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Best believe it will be mandated once fully FDA approved.

Probably but that isn’t until 2024 at the earliest per FDA...

[Anonymous]

Don’t we have a teacher shortage? I mean looking at maternity wards running out of nurses and canceling future deliveries etc…. I’m all for public health but what happens if teachers leave in large numbers? Doesn’t take that many to hurt the kids - and I bet it isn’t uniform.

Broadly, vaccine mandates are interesting. If we remove all the jobs, then force these people onto public assistance (some would remove it) then what? If people don’t have a legit way to earn a living how will we sustain our economy?

I think these mandates could hurt us more than help.