DC students forced to get Covid vaccine to attend school

Washington, DC schools will be requiring students 12 and older to get the Covid-19 vaccination ahead of the upcoming school year.

According to Fox 5, the office of the State Superintendent of Education has announced that all students ages 12 to 15 must receive at least one Covid vaccination by September 16.

Students 16 and older must receive both initial Covid shots by the start of the school year.

Vaccination requirements will apply to students in all types of schools, including public, private parochial and independent schools.

"We want to make sure that all of our students have everything they need for a healthy start to the school year," State Superintendent of Education Dr. Christina Grant said in a statement on Tuesday, according to ABC News. "This means making sure children see their primary medical provider for a well-child visit and receive all needed immunizations."

As of July 13, 80 percent of DC residents between the ages of 12 to 15, 76 percent of residents between he ages of 16 and 17, and 52 percent of residents between the ages of 18 to 24, have received the primary series of shots, according to district data.

During the week of July 16, DC saw 205.4 cases of Covid-19 per 100,000 residents, with the district being at a "medium" community level, defined as a "moderate impact on the healthcare system," and "moderate levels of disease severity."