Updated, 5:10 pm, Friday
Massachusetts will require “all children 6 months of age or older who are attending Massachusetts child care, pre-school, kindergarten, K-12, and colleges and universities” to receive an annual influenza vaccine by Dec. 31, 2020, according to a press release from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH).
Students can bypass the mandate through medical or religious exemptions.
“Also exempted are K-12 students who are homeschooled and higher education students who are completely off-campus and engaged in remote learning only,” the release states.
The cutoff is age 30.
“For older students, the flu vaccine requirement applies to all full-time undergraduate and graduate students under 30 years of age and all full- and part-time health science students,” the release states. “The requirement includes individuals from outside the U.S. attending or visiting classes or educational programs in Massachusetts as part of an academic visitation or exchange program. The only exception is for college and university students who exclusively attend classes online and never visit campus in person. College students who attend any classes or activities on campus, even once, must be vaccinated by December 31.”
Among other reasons, it’s hoped the inoculations will lessen the burden on the healthcare system.
“Every year, thousands of people of all ages are affected by influenza, leading to many hospitalizations and deaths,” Dr. Larry Madoff, Medical Director, DPH’s Bureau of Infectious Disease and Laboratory Sciences, said through the release. “It is more important now than ever to get a flu vaccine because flu symptoms are very similar to those of COVID-19 and preventing the flu will save lives and preserve healthcare resources.”
Asked who will be enforcing the vaccine rule on the Vineyard, if anyone, Tisbury board of health board member Michael Loberg wasn’t sure.
“It was very unclear to me,” he said.
Loberg referred the question to Tisbury health agent Maura Valley. Valley couldn’t immediately be reached for comment.
In an email to The Times, Valley wrote that school nurses would be the ones to enforce the inoculation requirement.
A DPH spokesperson told The Times the lawful penalty “is not being allowed to attend school.”
Edgartown health agent Matt Poole said the Island boards of health would likely be instrumental in distributing the vaccine.
“We are prepared to deliver vaccines in some manner — to allow those who wish to comply to comply,” he said.
During the H1N1pandemic, Poole said the Island boards of health via the Visiting Nurses Association, facilitated inoculations at each of the Vineyard’s schools.
Martha’s Vineyard Public Schools Superintendent Matt D’Andrea and Assistant Superintendent Richie Smith couldn’t immediately be reached for comment.