D.C. parents will need to add the COVID-19 vaccine to their back-to-school checklist for their older children this year.
The D.C. Office of the State Superintendent announced Tuesday that students 12 years old and older are required to get a COVID vaccine in order to attend class during the 2022-23 year.
That includes students at private, parochial and independent schools.
Kids who are between 12 and 15 have until Sept. 16 to begin their primary vaccine series — which means their first two doses of the shot — unless otherwise exempted.
Those who are 16 and older need to have started their primary vaccine series by the start of the school year, which begins on Aug. 29 for the District’s public schools, unless they have an exemption as well.
“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 Christina Grant said in a news release. “This means making sure children see their primary medical provider for a well-child visit and receive all needed immunizations.”
The majority of the District’s older school-age population has been vaccinated. The city’s COVID dashboard shows that 80% of those in the 12-15 age group have completed their primary series of the vaccine.
For those in the 16-17 age group, 76% have completed their primary series.
