Vaccines

Education news, analysis, and opinion about the health and policy aspects of vaccines and vaccination
A student applies a bandage after receiving a dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine from a nurse, at a vaccination station in Jackson, Miss., Feb. 16, 2022.
A Jackson, Miss. student receives a bandage on the arm after receiving a children's dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine from a nurse, at a vaccination station in the city, Feb. 16, 2022.
Rogelio V. Solis/AP
Families & the Community Vaccine Rates Remain Down, Exemptions Are Up. What It Means for Schools
New federal data show that vaccine rates among schoolchildren have not rebounded since the pandemic.
    Elizabeth Heubeck, November 10, 2023
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    4 min read
    African American elementary teacher blowing nose of young culturally diverse elementary school boy during a class in the classroom.
    skynesher/E+
    Student Well-Being A New School Year, a New COVID-19 Variant. What Are Schools to Do?
    School is starting, a new COVID-19 variant is circulating, and cases are rising. Here's advice for schools.
    Arianna Prothero, August 18, 2023
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    4 min read
    A hand wearing a blue latex glove lifts a syringe out of a small metal bin labeled "Moderna" that rests on a table next to bins that say "Pfizer" and "flu."
    A worker prepares syringes at a free COVID-19 and flu vaccination event in Lynwood, Calif., last month. States are not adding COVID-19 to the list of required immunizations children must receive to attend public school.
    Mark J. Terrill/AP
    States Plans to Require Student COVID-19 Vaccinations Flopped. Here's Why
    Policies mandating COVID-19 vaccines for school attendance have largely failed to materialize three years into the pandemic.
    Evie Blad, February 13, 2023
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    5 min read
    A student looks back at his mother as he is vaccinated at a school-based COVID-19 vaccination clinic for students 12 and older in San Pedro, Calif., on May 24, 2021. California lawmakers amended a bill Thursday, June 16, 2022, that would have let preteens be vaccinated without their parents consent, instead raising the proposed minimum age to 15.
    A student looks at his mother as he is vaccinated at a school-based COVID-19 vaccination clinic for students 12 and older in San Pedro, Calif., in May 2021.
    Damian Dovarganes/AP
    Student Well-Being Support for School Vaccine Mandates Is Declining, Survey Shows
    A growing share of parents say they oppose routine childhood vaccines as a prerequisite for school attendance.
    Elizabeth Heubeck, December 16, 2022
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    3 min read
    Doctor putting a band aid on woman's arm.
    E+
    Student Well-Being Goodbye to COVID Vaccine, Testing Mandates. What That Means for Schools
    The changes come after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention relaxed its COVID-19 guidance for schools.
    Lauraine Langreo, September 16, 2022
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    3 min read
    Vaccine record.
    Bill Oxford/iStock/Getty
    Student Well-Being NYC School Vaccination Study Shows Differences Based on Race and Community
    Schools serving a majority of Asian students had the highest vaccination rates.
    Alyson Klein, September 15, 2022
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    2 min read
    An information sign is displayed as a child arrives with her parent to receive the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for children 5 to 11-years-old at London Middle School in Wheeling, Ill., Wednesday, Nov. 17, 2021.
    A child arrives at London Middle School in Wheeling, Ill., in November to receive the COVID-19 vaccine for children 5 to 11. The White House is urging schools to continue hosting vaccine clinics for COVID as well as more-routine shots.
    Nam Y. Huh/AP
    Student Well-Being Messaging About Vaccines and Boosters: 3 Best Practices for School Districts
    Officials expect the COVID-19 vaccine to become as routine as the annual flu shot. Here's what schools can do to prepare families.
    Libby Stanford, September 1, 2022
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    4 min read
    Young child wearing a mask getting a vaccine.
    E+/Getty
    Student Well-Being What the Research Says Student Absences May Spike Due to Low Vaccination Rates, Weaker Immunity
    School leaders should brace for waves of respiratory infections this fall.

    Sarah D. Sparks, August 30, 2022
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    4 min read
    A second grade student is given a COVID-19 rapid test at H.W. Harkness Elementary School in Sacramento, Calif., on Feb. 11, 2022. As a new school year approaches, COVID-19 infections are again on the rise, fueled by highly transmissible variants, filling families with dread. They fear the return of a pandemic scourge: outbreaks that sideline large numbers of teachers, close school buildings and force students back into remote learning.
    A 2nd grade student is given a COVID-19 rapid test at H.W. Harkness Elementary School in Sacramento, Calif., in February. The Biden administration plans to send millions of COVID-19 tests to school districts over the 2022-23 school year as part of its COVID-19 response.
    Rich Pedroncelli/AP
    Student Well-Being White House Outlines Key COVID-Prevention Strategies for This School Year
    Prevention best practices focus on testing, vaccinations, and school building ventilation.
    Libby Stanford, August 17, 2022
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    4 min read
    Image of young boy wearing a mask getting a bandage applied after a vaccine.
    E+
    Student Well-Being What the Research Says COVID Vaccination Rates for Kids Are Stalling. What It Means for Schools
    What's a school to do when just 1 in 3 elementary students are on track to be fully vaccinated by the end of the school year?
    Sarah D. Sparks, May 24, 2022
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    5 min read
    Unvaccinated and vaccinated cutout people with vaccine syringe. Illustration showing 3 out of 10 not boosted.
    Collage by Gina Tomko/Education Week and Getty
    School & District Management From Our Research Center 3 in 10 Educators Haven't Gotten a COVID Booster Shot
    Some educators don't believe boosters are worth the potential side effects, or that they need one after having gotten COVID.
    Mark Lieberman, May 5, 2022
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    3 min read
    Image of young boy wearing a mask getting a bandage applied after a vaccine.
    E+
    Student Well-Being Anti-Vaccine Ideology Gains Ground as Lawmakers Seek to Erode Rules for Kids’ Shots
    Experts say the movement has gained momentum amid the pandemic, boosting the reach of high-profile anti-vaccine activists.
    Sandy West, Kaiser Health News, April 26, 2022
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    6 min read
    Conceputal image of school disruptions from COVID-19, from 2020 to 2022.
    Vanessa Solis/Education Week and Getty Images
    School & District Management Forever Changed: A Timeline of How COVID Upended Schools
    COVID-19 has shaken the education landscape. Here are key milestones.
    Laura Baker & Education Week Staff, April 5, 2022
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    1 min read
    An information sign is displayed as a child arrives with her parent to receive the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for children 5 to 11-years-old at London Middle School in Wheeling, Ill., on Nov. 17, 2021.
    A child arrives with her parent to receive the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine at London Middle School in Wheeling, Ill., in November.
    Nam Y. Huh/AP
    Student Well-Being COVID Vaccine Uptake Has Stalled for Young Children. What Schools Can Do to Help
    Overall, only about 1 in 5 children ages 5-11 in the United States are fully inoculated against COVID-19.
    Arianna Prothero, January 24, 2022
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    4 min read
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