Muradian, Republican legislators, question need for student flu vaccines

State Rep. David Muradian Jr. was among 14 Republican legislators who signed a letter to state health officials questioning the recent influenza vaccine mandate for school-aged children.

“We have heard from hundreds of concerned families in our districts that feel troubled by this sudden announcement,” reads the letter, addressed to Marylou Sudders, secretary of Health and Human Services and Monica Bharel, commissioner of the Department of Public Health. “The process by which this mandate came about is shrouded in confusion and we hope that tEOHHS, DPS, and the Baker-Polito Administration can provide insight into this decision.”

The new influenza immunization requirement was announced last week for all children 6 months of age or older who are attending Massachusetts child care, pre-school, kindergarten, K-12, and colleges and universities. It was introduced as an important step to reduce flu-related illness and  the overall impact of respiratory illness during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The legislators noted that the mandate includes students who will be using a fully remote education model for the coming school year “which makes little sense, as these students will be isolated in their homes while learning.”

The letter also questioned if the mandate would be needed if a COVID-19 vaccine is made available and cited CDC statistics on the vaccine’s efficiency, which can range from 40 to 60 percent.