Vaccines

Education news, analysis, and opinion about the health and policy aspects of vaccines and vaccination
Vials of the MMR measles mums and rubella virus vaccine are displayed Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025, in Lubbock, Texas.
Vials of the MMR measles mums and rubella virus vaccine are displayed Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025, in Lubbock, Texas. As the West Texas measles outbreak grew, a school nurse in Columbus, Ohio, persuaded parents of unvaccinated children at her school to get immunized.
Julio Cortez/AP
Student Well-Being How a School Nurse Convinced Parents to Vaccinate Their Kids Against Measles
“We know that parents trust not only nurses, but especially school nurses," said Kate King, a school nurse in Columbus, Ohio.
Caitlynn Peetz, April 16, 2025
•
6 min read
Image of a band aid being applied after a vaccination.
iStock/Getty
Student Well-Being As Measles Outbreak Grows, See How Your State's Vaccination Rate Stacks Up
Outbreaks of once-eradicated diseases, like measles, are becoming more common and severe as childhood vaccination rates decline.
Caitlynn Peetz & Maya Riser-Kositsky, March 17, 2025
•
3 min read
A sign is seen outside of Seminole Hospital District offering measles testing, Feb. 21, 2025, in Seminole, Texas.
A sign is seen outside of Seminole Hospital District offering measles testing, Feb. 21, 2025, in Seminole, Texas. The biggest risk from the outbreak is to unvaccinated people, but a small number of people who were vaccinated decades ago might need updated shots to ensure they’re protected.
Julio Cortez/AP
School & District Management Some School Staff Might Need a Measles Booster. Here Is Who's Affected
Some educators could have received their measles shots during a five-year span when an ineffective version was given.
Caitlynn Peetz, February 28, 2025
•
3 min read
Tight cropped photograph of a doctor wearing gloves and filling a syringe with medicine from vial.
iStock/Getty
Student Well-Being Measles Is on the Rise as Vaccinations Drop. Where Does That Leave Schools?
With an outbreak in West Texas, are the conditions ripe for more measles outbreaks elsewhere?
Caitlynn Peetz, February 25, 2025
•
6 min read
Flu and cold season concept: student at desk with tissues and blowing their nose.
E+
Student Well-Being Schools Close as Flu and Other Respiratory Illnesses Spike
Some schools are temporarily closing to stop the spread of infection—or because too many staff are sick.
Caitlynn Peetz, February 12, 2025
•
4 min read
Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., speaks before Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump at a campaign event, Friday, Sept. 27, 2024 in Walker, Mich.
Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., speaks before President-elect Donald Trump at a campaign event on Sept. 27, 2024 in Walker, Mich. Trump has selected Kennedy to serve as secretary of health and human services in his second term.
Carlos Osorio/AP
Federal What Could RFK Jr. as HHS Secretary Mean for School Vaccine Requirements?
The vaccine skeptic in line to lead the mammoth federal agency could influence schools' vaccine rules, even though they're set by states.
Matthew Stone, November 15, 2024
•
6 min read
A sign posted at The Vancouver Clinic in Vancouver, Wash., warns patients and visitors of a measles outbreak on Jan. 30, 2019.
A sign posted at The Vancouver Clinic in Vancouver, Wash., warns patients and visitors of a measles outbreak on Jan. 30, 2019. A new outbreak has flared in Oregon this summer, and cases have been detected in 25 states and the District of Columbia.
Gillian Flaccus/AP
Student Well-Being Measles Outbreaks Have More Than Tripled. How Schools Can Help
Getting more parents to vaccinate their children means leaning into relationships. Most states offer resources, too.
Sarah D. Sparks, July 29, 2024
•
3 min read
FILE - The Supreme Court is seen under stormy skies in Washington, June 20, 2019. In the coming days, the Supreme Court will confront a perfect storm mostly of its own making, a trio of decisions stemming directly from the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)
The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to take up a case about a state law that bars certain medical care for transgender minors, with the legal issues holding potential implications for schools.
J. Scott Applewhite/AP
Law & Courts Supreme Court Case on Transgender Youth Medical Care May Impact Schools
The justices will decide whether a Tennessee law that bars certain treatments for transgender minors violates the equal-protection clause.
Mark Walsh, June 24, 2024
•
5 min read
Woman applying "Welcome Back" sign to the school entrance
Leo Patrizi/E+/Getty Images
Student Well-Being CDC Recommends Shorter Isolation Period for COVID-19
Under the new guidance, students won't need to stay home from school for 5 days.
Sarah D. Sparks, March 1, 2024
•
3 min read
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
    •
    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
    •
    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
    •
    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
    •
    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
    •
    3 min read
    Load More ▼