Education Secretary Miguel Cardona ‘Favors’ Mandating Coronavirus Vaccines for Teachers

U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said he likes the idea of mandating Chinese coronavirus vaccines, which are not fully FDA approved, for teachers and school staff across the country.

“I would favor the vaccine being required,” Cardona said during a virtual National Press Foundation event, according to Politico. Cardona reportedly added that he thinks full FDA approval of the vaccine will help some “reluctant adults” change their minds.

Cardona decided for himself that Chinese coronavirus vaccines are safe, which plays into his desire for requiring other people to get jabbed.

“I wouldn’t have gotten the vaccine or had my children get it if I questioned whether or not it was safe,” he said, referring to his children who attend high school in Connecticut.

The education secretary has seemingly moved the goal posts — just this past weekend, he urged teachers to get the vaccine voluntarily on CBS’s Face the Nation.

“I feel strongly that if you’re eligible to get vaccinated, get vaccinated, do your part to make sure that we’re all safe and that we can reopen schools without interruptions,” he said.

Several cities have already mandated vaccines for teachers and school staff, including San Jose, Denver, and New York City. On Wednesday, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who is currently facing a recall election, mandated coronavirus vaccines for all teachers in the state.

Individual school districts have also been making vaccines mandatory for teachers. For example, at least 60 people could face termination for not getting vaccinated by October 1 in a school district located in the northwest suburbs of Chicago, Illinois.

On Sunday, American Federation of Teachers head Randi Weingarten said on NBC’s Meet the Press that the teacher’s union needs to be working with employers on COVID-19 vaccine mandates for teachers.

“Let me say my members have stepped up. Ninety percent of the teacher members have actually gotten the vaccine, but I do think that the circumstances have changed and that vaccination is a community responsibility, and it weighs really heavily on me that kids under 12 can’t get vaccinated,” Weingarten said.