Salem Schools To Revisit Student Vaccine Mandate Amid Surge

SALEM, MA — Salem Public Schools may soon consider a vaccination mandate for all students amid a statewide rise in coronavirus cases in recent weeks.

Superintendent of Schools Steve Zrike said during his weekly Facebook session that the recent surge within the district — which has mirrored that of the state — is causing challenges in covering classes and that the best way to keep the school year from being disrupted remains to get as many staff, students and their families vaccinated as possible.

"Please get vaccinated," Zrike said on Thursday. "It matters. Get your boosters. Get your child vaccinated if they have not been vaccinated. There is nothing more apparent in terms of preventing the spread of the disease.

"It is really the one way to prevent schools from being interrupted."

Zrike said that while the district is making some progress in 5- to 11-year-olds — where the first-dose vaccination rate of the recently eligible age group meets the state average of 31 percent — and 12- to 15-year-olds — where the first-dose average is just below the state average of 71 percent, the city remains significantly underwater among 16- to 19-year-olds.

Salem's Board of Health statistics show that only 49 percent of that age group has received a first vaccination dose with the state average being 75 percent.

"We're way below the state average," he said. "That is where the most focus is needed."

Zrike allowed the figure is only approximate for the district since not all the teens in that age range in the city go to Salem Public Schools.

As of Dec. 1, all vaccine-eligible Salem students involved in "high-respiration" extracurricular activities, such as sports, band and chorus, were required to have at least one dose of the vaccine and a second one scheduled to participate in the winter season.

The Salem School Committee discussed the parameters of what a full mandate among the entire student population would entail at its Nov. 1 meeting.

"We are going to revisit the conversation about students being vaccinated," Zrike said on Thursday. "We are working on the appropriate time to mandate the vaccination for students."

The School Committee discussed at the earlier meeting that any student vaccination order would be accompanied by a vaccine order for all staff and faculty as well.

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(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)

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