9K children in New Jersey received first dose of COVID vaccine so far, Murphy says
9K children in New Jersey received first dose of COVID vaccine so far, Murphy says
Kid-sized doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine cleared two final hurdles last week — a recommendation from CDC advisers, followed by a green light from Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
NEW JERSEY - The mask requirement for K-12 students and staff will remain in place for now as Gov. Phil Murphy encourages parents to get their children vaccinated against COVID-19.
Kid-sized doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine cleared two final hurdles last week — a recommendation from CDC advisers, followed by a green light from Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Over 9,000 children in the Garden State between the ages of 5 and 11 have gotten their first dose of the vaccine since final approval.
"So for all parents, we strongly encourage you to get your child vaccinated against COVID. When I look back at our announcement over the summer that our schools would begin the academic year with a masking requirement in place, by the way, a requirement that gave none of us any joy, one of the reasons was that our youngest students were not yet eligible for vaccinations," Murphy said in a Monday press briefing. "Well, now they are and with each child who gets vaccinated and enters a classroom with an educator who was vaccinated and sits among their peers who are vaccinated, the closer we get to being able to lift this requirement with that."
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Pennsylvania school districts will be allowed to modify or end the mask mandate for K-12 students in January, Gov. Tom Wolf announced Monday.
The Democratic governor will turn over decisions about masking to local school officials on Jan. 17, although the acting health secretary’s mask mandate will remain in place for early learning programs and child care facilities, according to officials at two school groups, speaking on condition of anonymity ahead of the official announcement.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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