California will be the first state to require schoolchildren get the COVID-19 vaccine, Gov. Newsom announces

California is the first state in the country that will require schoolchildren to get vaccinated against COVID-19, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Friday.

The statewide requirement adds to "a well-established list that currently includes 10 vaccinations," Newsom said at a press conference. "We want to get this disease behind us."

The mandate will apply to all who receive in-person instruction, Newsom said, and will begin in the first school term that follows full authorization of a COVID-19 vaccine for children by the US Food and Drug Administration — either in January 1 or July 1, 2022.

The first phase will apply to children in grades 7 through 12, after which the requirement will extend to those entering kindergarten.

Medical and religious exemptions will be consistent with those for other vaccines, Newsom said.