As a Biodefense professional and an Emergency Management Specialist, I completely support vaccination efforts. However, I do not believe mandating the COVID-19 vaccine for K-12 children in Virginia is appropriate. Considering the intent of this vaccination was to reduce hospitalizations and reduce the spread of COVID-19, this potential mandate seems more politically driven as opposed to objectively driven. Children being hospitalized is rare compared to adults and these new variants overwhelm the vaccine through viral loads. My wife and I both got vaccinated and both got COVID-19 a four months later. I do not see the need to give my kids a vaccination that does not help them the way a more refined one does.