MINNEAPOLIS — There’s been a lot of talk about whether COVID vaccines should be mandatory for students in Minnesota. While that debate continues, here’s a look at what vaccinations are currently required for kids.
First, a little history lesson. Childhood immunization laws in the country have been around since the 1850s when smallpox vaccines were first required. In Minnesota, there are nine vaccinations your child needs before attending school: measles, rubella, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio, mumps, hepatitis B and chickenpox.
Pediatrician Garrett Jones at Park Nicollet Brookdale says the nine mandatory shots are all for potentially deadly diseases, and if they were allowed to expand in a school setting they could certainly move through schools very quickly.
Another disease that can spread easily in school environments is COVID-19. As of now, the FDA has given full approval to Pfizer’s vaccine for people 16 and older, and in Minnesota anyone 12 and over can get the shot.
Dr. Jones believes there is a possibility one day that the COVID vaccine will be added to the list of essential shots. “It’s safe, it’s highly effective so you can certainly see somewhere down the line that being one of the required vaccines to get into school,” he said.
New parents wondering where and how to get their kids inoculated should reach out to their family doctor for timelines and appointments. Dr. Jones says the only way to prevent these diseases is to make sure vaccine numbers are high. "We need to keep the rates of vaccines in kids across the state and across the country high enough to reach that heard immunity."
There are some exceptions that allow kids to go to school unvaccinated. First, if a doctor signs a waiver indicating the child shouldn’t be vaccinated for medical reasons, or that the child already has sufficient immunity. The latter must be backed up by lab tests.
Also, children may be exempt if they have a notarized statement confirming a parent’s “conscientious hard belief” against the vaccination.
Both exemptions are rare. Currently vaccination rates for kindergarten students in Minnesota are 90% or higher for each of the required nine shots.