A leading US politician has banned children from returning to school unless they have had a flu vaccine. Governor of Massachusetts Charlie Baker issued a mandate earlier this week saying all children must have their flu shot by December 31, otherwise they can no longer attend school – even if lessons are still online.
Governor Baker’s edict proclaims any child older than six months must have the injection, unless they have a medical or religious exemption, or are home-schooled. The law will affect around one million children, and is aimed at avoiding confusion and panic feared to erupt if seasonal flu outbreaks are mistaken for coronavirus.
Baker is also said to be keen to ensure hospitals are not overwhelmed should there be a second wave of Covid-19 diagnosis, although Massachusetts has so far avoided hospital overcrowding.
Centers for Disease Control (CDC) statistics say about 81% of schoolchildren in Massachusetts had a flu shot last year voluntarily – but experts have been angered that youngsters are no longer being given the choice.
The State of Massachusetts has also said the decree is a permanent one, with students now ordered to have the vaccine each year, or face being banned from attending school.
They have been able to do so using Massachusetts state law that allows the state to determine what diseases should be deemed dangerous – and which treatments people must have to try and minimize them.
Governor Baker’s latest law has angered critics who say it infringes on civil liberties, and is the latest in a line of ‘arbitrary’ rules imposed during the coronavirus outbreak.
Journalist James Erhard wrote in the Boston Herald: ‘The flu shot mandate sets a dangerous precedent and confirms the concerns of many since the COVID-19 lockdowns began.
‘Baker issued arbitrary orders throughout the lockdown. You could go golfing, but not use a golf cart or a driving range. You could not go to church but could go to a Walmart. You could not go to a graduation or funeral but could protest on the streets of Boston.’
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk
For more stories like this, check our news page
