LSU Health New Orleans School of Medicine’s Benjamin Springgate, MD, professor of medicine and chief of community and population medicine, and Ryan Pasternak, MD, professor of pediatrics and head of the Division of General Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, helped New Orleans Public Schools become the first in the nation to require COVID vaccinations. The requirement went into effect Feb. 1.
New Orleans Public Schools approached Springgate and Pasternak during the spring of 2020, shortly after the pandemic was declared, about providing their medical expertise. The relationship became official in July 2020, and was extended in November 2020 when Springgate was named chief health officer, and Pasternak began serving as chief medical officer.
“Schools and parents are making the right choices to proceed with vaccinating our children against COVID-19,” said Springgate. “Vaccinating all eligible children reduces the burden of illness and transmission, allows parents to work instead of staying home with quarantined students, and keeps schools open to in-person learning.”
The school system requested that vaccination against COVID-19 be added to the list of required vaccinations, and the Louisiana Department of Health approved the request. As with other mandated vaccinations, parents can file for an exemption for medical, religious, or philosophical reasons.
“Vaccinating all eligible children ages five and up against COVID-19 will give us the best chance to keep our school children healthy and keep schools open to in-person learning,” said Pasternak.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, children are as likely to be infected with COVID-19 as adults and can get very sick from COVID-19, having both short and long-term health complications from COVID-19. They can spread COVID-19 to others, including at home and school.