President Donald Trump has signed an executive order that stops funding to schools and universities mandating COVID vaccinations for students. This is part of his broader initiative to undo vaccine mandates, even though research has indicated that such mandates help increase vaccination rates and reduce the number of COVID-related deaths, as reported by The New York Times.
The exact consequences of the February 14 order are uncertain, especially since no state currently mandates COVID vaccines for K-12 students. According to the group No College Mandates, only 15 colleges were still enforcing vaccination requirements by the end of last year.
However, Trump’s decision is consistent with the growing opposition to vaccine mandates:

• 21 states have already prohibited COVID vaccine mandates for students.
• Several Republican lawmakers are advocating for even wider bans, such as one proposed in Montana to prevent mRNA vaccines and another in Idaho aimed at stopping local health departments from offering any COVID vaccines.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) maintains that COVID vaccines are safe for children, noting that although young people are less likely to experience severe illness, the virus has still impacted many children. Research has demonstrated that vaccine requirements in schools have contributed to higher vaccination rates and may have helped slow the transmission of COVID.
However, some studies also indicate that these vaccine mandates have led to reduced trust in public health recommendations, shifting the debate into a political arena rather than one focused solely on health.
This latest order marks a shift from Trump’s actions during his first term when his administration played a significant role in the swift development of COVID vaccines, which are credited with saving an estimated 140,000 lives, according to The Times.
The executive order aligns with Trump’s recent move to reinstate over 8,000 troops who were discharged for refusing the COVID vaccine. The new policy, however, is specific to COVID vaccinations and does not impact state-level requirements for other vaccines such as measles, mumps, polio, or childhood vaccines.
States continue to allow exemptions from vaccinations for medical, religious, or personal reasons. It remains unclear whether this order will influence medical schools, many of which currently require students to be vaccinated against COVID.
{Matzav.com}