Governor Bill Lee Announces Tennessee Will Not Mandate the COVID-19 Vaccine for Schools

Governor Bill Lee announced Thursday that Tennessee would not require COVID-19 vaccines for children to go to school in response to the recommendation made by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).

Governor Bill Lee announced on Facebook, “I’ve always said mandates are the wrong approach, and Tennessee has led in pushing back on federal covid vaccine requirements. Thanks to our work with the General Assembly, Tennessee families won’t be impacted by today’s CDC vote. We’ll continue to stand for Tennessee children and for personal freedom.”

The CDC unanimously voted on Thursday to recommend the COVID-19 vaccine as a school-entry requirement, but the final decision for the vaccination requirement will come down to the individual states.

A CDC press release states, “CDC only makes recommendations for use of vaccines, while school-entry vaccination requirements are determined by state or local jurisdictions.”

Other states have informed the public that they will not abide by the CDC’s recommendation.

Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin stated on Twitter, “COVID-19 mandates should be in our rear-view mirror. The decision to vaccinate a child against COVID-19 is for Virginia parents to make about what’s best for them and their family. We will not adhere to these CDC mandates. In Virginia, parents matter.”

Yes, Every Kid

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis also responded to the CDC recommendation, stating, “As long as I am Governor in Florida, there will not be a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for children in our schools.”

Lee received some counter-responses from people such as Dr. Michelle Fiscus, a former vaccine official for Tennessee, saying that Lee is incorrect in saying that the CDC can mandate vaccines. However, Lee never stated that the CDC could require vaccines in Tennessee; he said that Tennessee would not follow the CDC’s suggestion to mandate them.

Dr. Fiscus took to Twitter to say, “It would be great if Bill Lee took the time to understand the ACIP votes. It has nothing to do with mandates. The ACIP voted to allow the COVID-19 vaccine to be provided through the Vaccines for Children program so kids can still it when it goes commercial.

Dr. Fiscus continued, saying, “The ACIP also recommended the inclusions of the COVID-19 vaccines in the routine childhood immunization schedule. There is no federal COVID vaccine requirement. As Bill Lee should know (right?), states make the rules about what’s required for school, not ACIP/CDC.”

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Kaitlyn Osteen is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Send Kaitlyn tips at [email protected].
Photo “Bill Lee” by Gov. Bill Lee. Background Photo “COVID-19 Vaccine” by Braňo.

 

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6 Thoughts to “Governor Bill Lee Announces Tennessee Will Not Mandate the COVID-19 Vaccine for Schools”

  1. Jay

    The CDC is running cover for big pharma. The vote to include on the schedule gives liability protection to the deadly jab.

  2. Karen Bracken

    Dr. Fiscus is the reason so many parents are uneducated when it comes to vaccine. The vote she speaks of was on Oct. 19, 2022. The vote Gov. Lee is talking about took place on Oct. 20, 2022 to add the COVID injection (it is NOT a vaccine) to the childhood schedule. Now she should know, right? But she is slinging mud about a subject she appears to herself not have a clue.

  3. Karen Bracken

    So if these Governors think vaccines should be a choice why don’t they drop mandates on ALL vaccines not just the COVID injection. ALL vaccines should be a choice not a mandate. I know A LOT of parents that would not put these poisons in their children’s body if they had a choice. In TN we still have a religious exemption and it is time to start using it. If parents did some research they would find there are NO vaccines that are safe or effective. NO the polio vaccine. DID NOT stop polio. Do some REAL research.

  4. 83ragtop50

    Whoopee! Little Billy Lee makes the obvious decision. I suppose he had to keep people from being awakened to his terrible administration. I early voted for an independent nominee for a governor in protest to the GOP supporting this sorry governor.

  5. Steve Allen

    then why doesn’t he stand up and support the Tennessee National Guard troops that refuse to be vaccinated.

  6. Ron W

    Great! Resist this evil!

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