The school staff COVID-19 vaccine requirement will end June 17, the Oregon Health Authority announced Wednesday, May 10.
OHA is changing a wide array of pandemic-related rules and procedures to align with the national and international pandemic response. The World Health Organization declared Friday, May 7, that COVID-19 is no longer a global health emergency, although it continues to cause illness and death. The United States will end its COVID-19 health emergency declaration Thursday, May 11.
“Given current national guidance around the pandemic, this is a logical next step that will help in addressing workforce shortages in our schools,” said Jim Green, OSBA executive director. “We do expect schools to face some challenges in the transition, and we have staff ready to address those issues.”
Oregon is the last state still requiring teachers and school workers to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19, according to the National Academy for State Health Policy. Oregon’s rules, among the nation’s strictest, covered contractors, volunteers and anyone else in close contact with students in schools.
School officials expect the end of the requirement to help with hiring for next year and enlisting volunteers.
Superintendent Ginger Redlinger of the North Marion School District said she expects some people who left over the requirement to come back, especially with classified positions. She worries, though, some vaccinated staff may have concerns about working around unvaccinated people.
Still it is time for the rule to end, she said.
“It’s like the new flu now,” Redlinger said. “COVID moves into the category of things we have to manage.”
On Aug. 19, 2021, Gov. Kate Brown announced all district staff, contractors and volunteers working in schools with students would need to be vaccinated for COVID-19. School workers were given two months to be vaccinated or get a medical or religious exception approved by their district. Districts had to have a plan to ensure unvaccinated staff would not contract or spread the disease, such as mask usage and frequent COVID-19 tests or reassignments.
The rule aimed to keep students and staff healthy and in school. The mandate met vocal resistance, though, from people advocating for local decision-making and individual health choices or questioning the vaccines’ safety. School staff resigned or were fired around the state over a refusal to get a vaccination or an exception.
Dr. Dean Sidelinger, state epidemiologist, said during a Wednesday news conference that the state might have done some things differently if state leaders knew then what they know now. But he said he feels good about Oregon’s overall response in light of having among the lowest age-adjusted death rates in the country.
Brown lifted the COVID-19 public health emergency on April 1, 2022, and ended the vaccination requirement for executive branch staff. The requirement for education staff and volunteers, though, existed under OHA rule-making powers and remained in effect.
California and Washington lifted their education worker vaccine mandates in the fall. The Oregon Moms Union petitioned OHA in September to repeal the school requirement and encouraged parents to voice their vaccine positions to school board members.
OHA denied the petition in December on the basis of school being a compulsory activity for a largely unvaccinated population and vaccines having been shown to reduce the number of infections and serious illnesses.
OHA’s Wednesday news release acknowledged widespread immunity from infections and vaccinations has lowered the risk of spread.
OHA is lifting the vaccine mandate for health care workers on Thursday. The education worker requirement will continue to the end of the school year, though, to “support consistency in student instruction,” according to the OHA news release.
The Oregon Department of Education met with education representatives before advising OHA on ending the rule. ODE Director Colt Gill said that with the end of the school year so near, education leaders wanted to avoid another big policy change during the school year.
OHA is ending its five-day isolation recommendation for infected people but encourages people to stay home until their symptoms are improving and they are fever free for 24 hours.
On May 11, federal coverage for vaccines, testing and treatment will end. Private insurance, Medicare and Medicaid will still cover vaccine costs.
OHA will make diagnostic testing for school staff and students with symptoms available through July 31, 2024. Weekly screening tests for those without symptoms will end July 31. Self-tests will be available to schools as long as supplies last.
OHA is also scaling back its public COVID-19 data tracking.
– Jake Arnold, OSBA
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