Tennessee students will not be required to receive a COVID-19 vaccine before attending school. On Tuesday (November 24), Gov. Bill Lee said the vaccines, once they become widely available, will be optional in Tennessee K-12 public schools.
"Vaccines are a choice and people have the choice and will have the choice in this state as to whether or not they should take that vaccine," said Gov. Lee. "That will be our strategy and that is what we think will happen all across the state."
Tennessee law allows parents to refuse immunization for their children "except where the medical examination, immunization, or treatment is necessary for the protection of the health or safety of others" as well as "in the absence of an epidemic or immediate threat of an epidemic." According to WKRN, a Republican state bill aims to remove the exemptions and allow parents to opt out of vaccinations required by schools during the pandemic.
Multiple vaccine trials with positive results have brought hope that the end of the pandemic is closer. The commissioner for the Tennessee Department of Health, Dr. Lisa Piercey, expects the first doses of a COVID-19 vaccine in December, which would be prioritized for health care workers and first responders. Piercey believes widespread availability will come in spring or summer 2021.
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