The D.C. Council on Tuesday voted to require all eligible students and early child care workers to get vaccinated against the coronavirus.
Council member Christina Henderson (I-At Large) served as the primary force in the legislative body behind the effort, sponsoring emergency and permanent legislation mandating the vaccines to those groups.
“With the recent rise in cases, notably in our schools, we must utilize every single tool available to keep our communities healthy,” Henderson said in a statement, WUSA-TV (Channel 9) reported. “It has been proven time and time again that the vaccine is the most effective protection against the virus.”
Henderson said all students eligible for vaccination must do so by March 1, adding that enforcement will start at the beginning of the 2022-2023 school year.
Additionally, Henderson said her bill will mandate health care professionals to report students’ vaccine status to schools electronically, which she says will make the process simpler for everyone involved, WUSA reported.