FCPS will be mandating all athletes be vaccinated in the coming weeks for the upcoming sports seasons. This also involves any out-of-season practices as well as dance/ step teams. 

Although students are allowed to attend tryouts while not being vaccinated once they do get on the team, they must be fully vaccinated with either Pfizer, Moderna, or Johnson and Johnson. 

“I feel a lot safer now that vaccines are mandated for athletes because during the tennis season we normally don’t play with our masks on, so it makes me feel better knowing everyone around me is vaccinated as well.” said junior tennis athlete Ellie Davis 

This decision was made by FCPS as an attempt to minimize the covid-19 cases and avoid students having to quarantine for 10 days of contracting the virus. 

“I agree with the vaccine policy that VHSL and FCPS has come out with because I think they have the students best interest in mind and they want the best regarding our safety,” said junior Litzy Rivas

Before making this decision, FCPS made sure that all students within the county had access to the vaccine and it has seemed to be a great success so far. 

“I think it was a great idea for FCPS to mandate vaccines because it will simultaneously decrease cases in school since students will feel inclined to get vaccinated so that they can participate in athletics,” said junior lacrosse athlete Trisha Raja 

“I also know that many sports require close contact, so people will feel a lot safer knowing that their opposing team, as well as teammates, are vaccinated,”

About 75.4% of the student’s ages 16-18 are fully vaccinated and 85.7% have taken one dose of the vaccine. The decision to mandate vaccines by FCPS was also supported by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine (AMSSM), as seen on the FCPS website. 

So far, this policy is only being enforced for our ongoing school year and there is no telling as to whether they will mandate it in the coming years.