By Steve Hopkins
The CDC doesn’t require that children get certain vaccinations at different ages or to attend school, but instead, the CDC’s schedules of childhood vaccinations are only recommendations.
It is up to the states to decide whether to follow the recommendations. Our State Department of Health generally follows the CDC recommendations for childhood vaccinations and those schedules are used in determining what vaccinations a child must have to attend school, as provided in Mississippi Code Section 41-23-37.
However, during the 2022 session, the Legislature passed HB 1509, which is now codified as Mississippi Code Section 41-23-49, and subsection (3) of that section provides that
“Children attending any school, kindergarten or similar type of facility intended for the instruction of children, either public or private, shall not be required to receive a vaccine for COVID-19 as a condition of attendance.”
HB 1509 overrides the authority of the Department of Health or any school district to require a COVID-19 vaccination to attend school.
So, even if the CDC adds COVID-19 shots to the recommended vaccination schedule for children, our state law prohibits any requirement for children to get those vaccinations before they can attend school.
The Mississippi Freedom Caucus is proud to have worked on this bill. Because of this legislation, Mississippi children are protected from a corrupt CDC and a Department of Health that care more about money and politics than children.