Health & Fitness
Bill Aims To Prevent COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate For IL Students
IL Rep. Tom Weber says his bill is in response to a mandate in California. Pfizer is seeking approval for use in children as young as 5.
ACROSS ILLINOIS — An Illinois politician is aiming to block any potential mandate for students in Illinois to get the vaccine ahead of a vote later this month by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The drug company Pfizer on Thursday asked federal regulators to approve its COVID-19 vaccine for use in children as young as 5.
The bill, which is being drafted by Rep. State Tom Weber, R-Fox Lake, is also being filed in response to a recent mandate by California to require students to get the vaccine in order to continue with in-person education. Weber's hope is that the bill, if passed, would prevent Illinois from "taking such unilateral actions."
“Enacting such a mandate here in Illinois would be a step too far in removing parental choice,” Weber said. “The decision to vaccinate their child against COVID-19 belongs to parents and guardians, not the Governor.”
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The bill is expected to be filed in the next week, according to a statement from Weber. The state legislature returns for the fall veto session on Oct. 19.
In a recent Patch poll, nearly 10,000 readers responded to a survey asking: Do you support a student vaccine mandate here in Illinois? Of the more than 9,800 who responded, 60 percent said they are not in favor of a vaccine mandate for elementary, middle and high school students.
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The drug company Pfizer on Thursday asked federal regulators to approve its COVID-19 vaccine for use in children as young as 5. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has promised to come to a decision quickly and is scheduled to discuss Pfizer's data at a meeting on Oct. 26, which means a shot for kids could be approved for emergency use by Halloween.
"Over the past nine months, hundreds of millions of people ages 12 and older from around the world have received our COVID-19 vaccine," Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said in a statement. "We are eager to extend the protection afforded by the vaccine to this younger population, subject to regulatory authorization, especially as we track the spread of the Delta variant and the substantial threat it poses to children."
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