BOSTON (WHDH) - Hundreds of people plan to protest the state’s flu vaccine mandate outside the State House next weekend.
The organizer of the event is urging parents to join them on Saturday, Aug. 29 and call on state officials to rescind the requirement. So far, nearly 4,000 people have shown interest in the event on Facebook.
An influenza immunization has been made mandatory for all children 6 months of age or older who are attending Massachusetts child care, pre-school, K-12, and colleges and universities, health officials announced Wednesday.
Students will be expected to have received a flu vaccine by Dec. 31, 2020, for the 2020-2021 flu season, unless either a medical or religious exemption is provided, officials said. Homeschooled and higher education students who are completely off-campus and engaged in full-remote learning will also be exempt.
The organizer of the protest questioned the link between flu vaccinations and COVID-19 writing, “What has flu got to do with Covid? This is so wrong on many levels and we need to show up.”
Health experts said that getting the shot will ease the burden that has been placed on healthcare workers over the course of the pandemic.
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