Patch Survey: Should COVID-19 Vaccines Be Required For FL Students?

FLORIDA — With the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine on the verge of being approved for children ages 5 to 11 by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration as early as November, one state has already announced a vaccine mandate for its students.

In California, Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an order Oct. 1 requiring students who attend in-person classes at either private or public schools to get inoculated against coronavirus once the vaccine is authorized for children by the FDA. The Pfizer vaccine is already approved for those 12 and older.

Patch wants to know if Florida should adopt a similar mandate for students. Take our surveyTake our survey to share your thoughts.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has opposed mandating most COVID-19 protocols throughout the pandemic.

In September, he threatened to fine city and county governments that required their employees to get vaccinated against coronavirus $5,000 for each violation, the Associated Press reported.

“We are not going to let people be fired because of a vaccine mandate,” DeSantis said during a news conference in Gainesville. “You don’t just cast aside people who have been serving faithfully over this issue, over what is basically a personal choice on their individual health.”

He also issued an executive order in July banning school mask mandates. Some school districts in the state have defied the governor’s order, putting mask mandates in place anyway. The Florida Board of Education has sanctioned districts with mask requirements for students and staff, docking the salaries of school board members.

DeSantis signed other executive orders targeting COVID-19 mandates during the spring. In May, he issued an order blocking all local COVID-19 orders, including citywide and countywide mask mandates and curfews.

Before that, in April, he signed an order banning so-called vaccine passports — documentation that indicates whether an individual has received the COVID-19 vaccine or not. This executive order prohibits businesses from asking customers to see proof of their vaccination status before providing services or allowing them entry.

"Requiring so-called COVID-19 vaccine passports for taking part in everyday life — such as attending a sporting event, patronizing a restaurant or going to a movie would create two classes of citizens based on vaccination, and…it is necessary to protect the fundamental rights and privacies of Floridians and the free flow of commerce within the state," according to the executive order.

With the authorization of the Pfizer vaccine for children ages 5 to 11 pending, do you think Florida should require the vaccine for students?

Share your thoughts on the COVID-19 vaccination for Florida’s students in our reader survey, which will be open to responses until Friday at noon.

The survey is meant not to be a scientific poll, but only to give a broad idea of public sentiment.

Take part in our anonymous survey: