TOPEKA – Republican gubernatorial candidate Derek Schmidt vowed Saturday to block any requirement that Kansas children get vaccinated against COVID-19 before going to school.
The pledge is a reaction to Thursday’s largely misunderstood vote through an advisory committee to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which approved COVID-19 vaccines for youth and adults.
“The selection to give a child the COVID vaccine should be done through that child’s parents and single parents,” Schmidt said. “No student in Kansas will need to get a COVID vaccine to get into school, under my supervision. “
Schmidt had done something similar on Twitter in the past in reaction to Fox News personality Tucker Carlson’s false claim that the CDC was about to make the vaccine mandatory for school-age children.
Vaccine needs are controlled at the state level, though medical experts may turn to the CDC for advice. In Kansas, the Secretary of Health has the authority to include needs in the immunization schedule for schoolchildren. The needs in Kansas already come with polio vaccines. ; hepatitis A and B; measles, mumps and rubella; chickenpox; and meningitis.
It was unclear how Schmidt, if elected in November, would exercise his authority as governor to make sure the COVID-19 vaccine was never added to the list of requirements. It’s also unclear why he thinks the COVID-19 vaccine deserves to be treated. than others.
COVID-19 vaccines are effective in reducing the threat of serious illness or death. But Schmidt and other Republicans have seized on political gains by opposing government mandates, even when that means encouraging ill-informed anti-vaxxers.
Schmidt is the law passed in a special legislative consultation last year, and signed immediately by Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly, that allowed Kansas staff to opt out of federal vaccine requirements for devout or philosophical reasons.
On Saturday, Schmidt reiterated his support for Senate Bill 34, which focused on mask orders, quarantine orders and vaccine requirements. The bill transformed the final hours of the normal consultation into a set of policies that were the subject of limited or nonexistent public hearings. . Kelly vetoed the bill after it passed the House 64-53 and the Senate 23-17.
Kelly and Schmidt are locked in a tight race for governor with less than 3 weeks to go until the Nov. 8 election. More than 118,000 advance ballots have already been mailed.
Connie Satzler, senior operations manager for the Immunize Kansas Coalition, said the organization is asking for adjustments to vaccine needs for access to schools in Kansas.
Satzler emphasized that the advice of the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices is a requirement for vaccination. He said the CDC also recommends that young people get a flu shot annually, but no state requires one to get into school.
“COVID-19 vaccines are effective, and getting vaccinated is better than having poor health with COVID-19,” Satzler said. Kansas on vaccines, adding the COVID-19 vaccine. “
Data from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment shows another 9,601 people have died from COVID-19 since the pandemic began about two-and-a-half years ago. This includes 11 new deaths recorded last week.
In Kansas, according to CDC data, more than 2. 1 million people have obtained at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine, 87% of them over the age of 18. Nationally, more than 265 million Americans have received at least one dose.
The U. S. Food and Drug Administrationgranted full approval for COVID-19 vaccines for adults. The company also granted emergency use authorization for the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines in children up to 6 months of age.
by Sherman Smith, Kansas Reflector October 22, 2022
TOPEKA – Republican gubernatorial candidate Derek Schmidt vowed Saturday to block any requirement that Kansas children get vaccinated against COVID-19 before going to school.
The pledge is a reaction to Thursday’s largely misunderstood vote through an advisory committee to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which approved COVID-19 vaccines for youth and adults.
“The selection to give a child the COVID vaccine should be done through that child’s parents and single parents,” Schmidt said. “No student in Kansas will need to get a COVID vaccine to get into school, under my supervision. “
Schmidt had done something similar on Twitter in the past in reaction to Fox News personality Tucker Carlson’s false claim that the CDC was about to make the vaccine mandatory for school-age children.
Vaccine needs are controlled at the state level, though medical experts may turn to the CDC for advice. In Kansas, the Secretary of Health has the authority to include needs in the immunization schedule for schoolchildren. The needs in Kansas already come with polio vaccines. ; hepatitis A and B; measles, mumps and rubella; chickenpox; and meningitis.
It was unclear how Schmidt, if elected in November, would exercise his authority as governor to make sure the COVID-19 vaccine was never added to the list of requirements. It’s also unclear why he thinks the COVID-19 vaccine deserves to be treated. than others.
COVID-19 vaccines are effective in reducing the threat of serious illness or death. But Schmidt and other Republicans have seized on political gains by opposing government mandates, even when that means encouraging ill-informed anti-vaxxers.
Schmidt is the law passed in a special legislative consultation last year, and signed immediately by Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly, that allowed Kansas staff to opt out of federal vaccine requirements for devout or philosophical reasons.
On Saturday, Schmidt reiterated his support for Senate Bill 34, which focused on mask orders, quarantine orders and vaccine requirements. The bill transformed the final hours of the normal consultation into a set of policies that were the subject of limited or nonexistent public hearings. . Kelly vetoed the bill after it passed the House 64-53 and the Senate 23-17.
Kelly and Schmidt are locked in a tight race for governor with less than 3 weeks to go until the Nov. 8 election. More than 118,000 advance ballots have already been mailed.
Connie Satzler, senior operations manager for the Immunize Kansas Coalition, said the organization is asking for adjustments to vaccine needs for access to schools in Kansas.
Satzler emphasized that the advice of the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices is a requirement for vaccination. He said the CDC also recommends that young people get a flu shot annually, but no state requires one to get into school.
“COVID-19 vaccines are effective, and getting vaccinated is better than having poor health with COVID-19,” Satzler said. Kansas on vaccines, adding the COVID-19 vaccine. “
Data from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment shows another 9,601 people have died from COVID-19 since the pandemic began about two-and-a-half years ago. This includes 11 new deaths recorded last week.
In Kansas, according to CDC data, more than 2. 1 million people have gained at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, 87% of whom are over the age of 18. Nationwide, more than 265 million Americans have gained at least one dose.
The U. S. Food and Drug Administrationgranted full approval for COVID-19 vaccines for adults. The company also granted emergency use authorization for the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines in children up to 6 months of age.
Kansas Reflector belongs to States Newsroom, a network of news offices supported through grants and a coalition of donors as a public charity 501c(3). Kansas Reflector maintains its editorial independence. Please contact Sherman Smith if you have any questions: info@kansasreflector. com. Follow Kansas Reflector on Facebook and Twitter.
Sherman Smith is the Kansas Press Association’s 2021 and 2022 Reporter of the Year. He has written award-winning reports on the instability of Kansas’ foster care system, misconduct by government officials, sexual abuse, technology, education, and the legislature. last spent 16 years in Topeka Capital-Journal. Il is a long-time Kansas.
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