Private elementary schools without mandatory covid vaccination
Are there any private elementary schools with less than 15 kids to a class that do not mandate the covid vaccine for students? Looking in the Oakland/Eastbay area, but willing to travel anywhere in the Bay Area for a great school.
Dec 6, 2021
Parent Replies
Currently, schools don't mandate the covid vaccine for elementary schools because the vaccine for that age group doesn't have full FDA approval yet. That said, you can't circumvent a statewide vaccine mandate by going private. When the California Dept of Public Health mandates vaccines for schools, whether covid or routine shots like MMR, this applies to both public and private schools.
The statewide vaccination mandate, which kicks in at the start of the 22-23 school year, applies to all public and private schools in California. I don't know of many private elementary schools that will be mandating vaccination for younger kids before then (and most public districts are not mandating for under 12s until the fall, either).
The official mandate isn't predicted to come through until the Fall '22 school year. Pending he CA legislature's decision on personal or religious exemption, there may not be an option to get out of the vaccine requirement unless you choose an alternative schooling route (outdoor school or some other "alternative learning" program). The CA legislature will supposedly take up discussion in early '22 if they will allow for personal or religious exemptions. From my perspective, that's your only hope.