California Lawmaker Pauses Bill to Mandate COVID Vaccination for K–12 Students

California Lawmaker Pauses Bill to Mandate COVID Vaccination for K–12 Students
A nurse administers a pediatric dose of the COVID-19 vaccine to a girl in Los Angeles on Jan. 19, 2022. Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images
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SACRAMENTO—A California Senate bill that would have required all K–12 students to receive the COVID-19 vaccine and eliminated personal belief exemption has been tabled.
Sen. Richard Pan (D-Sacramento), the legislator behind Senate Bill (SB) 871, announced on April 14 that COVID-19 vaccination rates are “insufficient” among children as parents struggle to find the time and transportation to get their children vaccinated.