TUMWATER, Wash. — Parents and caregivers in Washington state have just a few more days to provide feedback about whether the state should add the COVID-19 vaccine as a school requirement.
The Washington State Board of Health launched a survey that includes five questions related to the idea of a vaccine requirement for public schools and daycares. It’s part of the work of a technical advisory group (TAG) that is working to review the COVID-19 vaccine.
Parents and caregivers have until Feb. 2 to share their thoughts.
So many people took the initial survey that it reached its response limit. The state has now added a new link and two backups to make sure everyone is heard.
Survey link #3 (please use this link only if the second survey reaches capacity)
Survey line #4 (please use this link only if the third survey reaches capacity)
The technical advisory group will review the vaccines against nine criteria to assess and evaluate the COVID-19 vaccine as a requirement for child care and school entry and provide a recommendation to the Board.
There are currently 11 vaccines that Washington students are required to have if they attend public school or daycare. Those vaccines include measles, mumps, polio and chickenpox.
The Board of Health said the purpose of the survey is to gather insight and feedback regarding the burden an additional school immunization requirement may create for parents, families, and caregivers.
“Knowing that adding COVID-19 vaccine as a requirement for school entry will impact families across the state, we are asking for your input on the barriers you may face to getting your kids vaccinated and how burdensome a COVID-19 vaccine requirement may be for you and your family,” the Board of Health said in the survey.
The five questions parents and caregivers are asked to answer include:
- Would adding COVID-19 vaccine as a requirement for school entry make you more or less likely to get your child vaccinated?
- How burdensome would an additional immunization requirement for school entry be for you and your family?
- What are some of the barriers you face to getting your child vaccinated against COVID-19?
- What are some of the benefits you see to vaccination? Do the possible benefits of vaccinating your child against COVID-19 reduce the impact of identified burdens of obtaining the vaccine?
- Do you believe adding COVID-19 vaccine as an immunization requirement for school entry is reasonable? Why or why not?