Republicans Vow to Not Mandate COVID-19 Vaccines for School Attendance

CDC advisers voted on Oct. 20 to recommend adding vaccines to immunization schedules

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks in a neighborhood impacted by Hurricane Ian at Fisherman's Wharf in Fort Myers, Fla., on Oct. 5, 2022. Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images

Republican governors and gubernatorial hopefuls are promising to prevent COVID-19 vaccine requirements for children to attend school.

As the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention moves toward adopting an updated immunization schedule that will include COVID-19 vaccines, Republican governors and candidates say the update won’t lead to mandates in their states.