Around New England

Massachusetts Public Schools No Longer Require Flu Vaccine

January 18, 2021

Want to attend public school in Massachusetts? You no longer need a flu shot to do it.

On Friday, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health removed its flu vaccine mandate for students attending public school in the state. That’s because they say the flu season is mild this year, and the state’s public health agency plans to prioritize administering coronavirus vaccines for the time being.

“Preliminary data show that this has been a mild flu season to date, presumably as people have received their seasonal flu vaccine and have been adhering to mask-wearing and social distancing due to COVID-19,” the Massachusetts Department of Public Health said in a statement, according to CBS Boston. “Given the intensive Commonwealth-wide efforts regarding COVID-19 vaccination, DPH wants to alleviate the burden to obtain flu vaccination and focus on continuing our COVID-19 vaccination efforts.”


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