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Today, in a letter to the House Committee on Health and Welfare, Gov. John Bel Edwards confirmed that the Louisiana Department of Health will move forward with adding the safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine to the schedule of immunizations for the populations for which it currently has full Food and Drug Administration approval, people 16 and older. All of Louisiana’s current opt-out provisions for parents will remain in place, meaning no child is forced to get a vaccine if their parents object in writing.
“I understand that any issue around COVID-19, especially those that involve our children, can be divisive, I ask that you and your colleagues work with me to get more people in Louisiana vaccinated. It is worth noting that while many of the diseases on the public health immunization schedule were once both rampant and deadly, they are no longer serious risks for school-age children in Louisiana. This is true because almost everyone was vaccinated against these diseases, many as a condition for attending elementary school.”
Edwards continued, saying he was moving forward with the rule because it will save lives and “help Louisiana emerge from this pandemic.”
He emphasized children would not be forced to be vaccinated against the will of their parents. “The rule explicitly provides that any student may be exempted by submitting ‘a written statement from a physician stating that such vaccination is contraindicated for medical reasons, or the individual or his parent or guardian submits a written dissent.’ This is the same exemption that has long been in state law and is one of the broadest exemptions in the country,” Edwards wrote.
Click here to download the Governor’s letter.
