The mandate would go into effect the semester after federal regulators give the OK.<\/b>
\nPublic and private school students in California will be required to get the COVID vaccination once they have been approved by the federal government. Gov. Gavin Newsom said Friday that his state will be the first in the U.S. to enact a such a mandate. Federal regulators have granted emergency authorization for kids aged 12 to 15, but have not yet approved unrestricted inoculations for that group. Once it does, vaccination for pupils in grades 7 through 12 will be required to be vaccinated for in-person classes in the Golden State. Vaccinations will also be made mandatory for kindergartners through sixth graders once federal authorities say that\u2019s safe for children ages 5 to 11. Newsom had until now left the decision to require student vaccinations to local school districts. The governor has been proactive in his approach to addressing the pandemic in his state. California\u2019s vaccine mandate would begin the semester after the feds give the OK. That means if the green light comes in January, the mandate begins in July. Religious and medical exemptions would apply, though the state has not yet determined how that would work. Students refusing vaccination would be forced to study from home. COVID infections in most of California were in decline in September. In Los Angeles County, home to more than 10 million residents, health director Barbara Ferrer said \u201cnumbers are amazingly low\u201d considering 3,000 schools are now open. The number of outbreaks in schools is up slightly in recent weeks, which Ferrer says is largely related to youth sports. With News Wire Services<\/p>\n