Testimony: Coronavirus Immunization of School Students and Early Childhood Workers Amendment Act of 2021
Children’s Law Center Policy Director Sharra E. Greer testified before the DC Council’s Committee of the Whole about the proposed COVID-19 vaccination mandate for DC students envisioned by The Coronavirus Immunization of
School Students and Early Childhood Workers Amendment Act of 2021. Sharra emphasized that while Children’s Law Center strongly supports vaccination for everyone – including children when they become eligible, consistent with the recommendations of both public health authorities and the American Academy of Pediatricians – we have serious concerns that the proposed vaccination mandate will disparately impact children and families of color. We urge the Council to mitigate unintended harmful consequences of a vaccine mandate for students, such as educational disruptions and child welfare involvement, by delaying enforcement of the COVID mandate for students until at least until the start of School Year 22-23.