HARTFORD, Conn. (WCBS 880) — Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont said he is considering requiring younger students to be vaccinated against COVID-19 before returning to school in the fall.
"It's something we're thinking about," Lamont told WCBS 880 anchor Steve Scott on Thursday morning. "It's definitely the safest way to get back into the classroom."
The governor acknowledged that mandating vaccinations in schools is a "dicey issue" and wouldn't be easy to implement.
"Anything I can do to encourage people to do it, we love; mandates are a little tougher, but we are thinking about it," the governor said. "We have an obligation to provide a public education to people whether they're vaccinated or not. So we have to figure out how we do this, but look, I'm absolutely in favor of vaccinations, I want everybody in my schools vaccinated, I think it's the safest for them and everybody around them."
Pfizer is currently testing its vaccine on children as young as six months old and requested FDA authorization to expand use of its shot to adolescents ages 12 to 15.
The Pfizer vaccine is the only one currently authorized for teens ages 16 and up.
Several private universities, including Wesleyan and Yale, will require students to be vaccinated against COVID-19 before returning to campus in the fall.
As for public universities, there won't be a mandate.
"So far we've left that up to the university, so Yale, Wesleyan, they are going to require it. They are congregate settings, there are people living together in residence halls so it's definitely the safest way to go," Lamont said. "Rather than have the state mandate it, I think we're going to let the universities take the lead, at least for now."
Like most other states, Connecticut is seeing a slowdown in the number of people signing up for vaccinations.
"Right now, we've got a lot of vaccines out there, two thirds of our adults have been vaccinated that's really good, but it's slowing down, demand is slowing down," he said. "We have to work harder to get up folks vaccinated."
Still, Lamont doesn't think loosening COVID-19 restrictions will make things any worse, however, he does worry about complacency.
The state is getting ready to lift its remaining COVID-19 business restrictions, except for mask mandates.
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