With the COVID state of emergency ending February 28, Calif. ruled it would not require the vaccine for students to attend schools.

The California Dept. of Public Health (CDPH) mulled over adding the COVID-19 vaccine to the state’s list of required vaccinations for school children back in 2021, but said it is currently only “strongly recommending” that students receive the vaccine.

“CDPH is not currently exploring emergency rulemaking to add COVID-19 to the list of required school vaccinations, but we continue to strongly recommend COVID-19 immunization for students and staff to keep everyone safer in the classroom,” CDPH said in a Feb. 3 statement. “Any changes to required K-12 immunizations are properly addressed through the legislative process.”

The decision would mark the end of all state-mandated COVID-19 regulations, while health officials still ask the public to wear masks while indoors with others and continue to stay current with their vaccinations.

Los Angeles County is currently at a “low” risk level for COVID-19 community transmission, as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“I’m hopeful that we continue to remain in low community [transmission] level with everyone taking common sense precautions to temper transmission and prevent severe illness,” Los Angeles County Public Health Director, Dr. Barbara Ferrer said in a Feb. 2 COVID-19 update. “Masking does continue to offer a layer of protection for those most vulnerable… This is particularly the case with crowded indoor places and places with poor ventilation.”

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