THE comment period for the proposed amendment to the Commonwealth Healthcare Corporation School and Child Care Facilities and Communicable Disease Rules and Regulations ended Sunday, Nov. 28.
The proposal would require eligible students to be vaccinated against Covid-19.
The CHCC board of trustees will now meet to consider the comments and, if requested, will issue a statement for or against the adoption of the amendment, which will also require the approval of the attorney general.
If approved by the AG, the regulations will be published and become effective 10 days after publication.
The CNMI’s lone hospital developed and adopted these rules and regulations, and thus has the authority to amend them in accordance with Commonwealth law.
The current regulations require students to be vaccinated against diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, hepatitis B, polio, measles, mumps, rubella, and other communicable diseases.
To this list, the proposed new rule would add Covid-19 and its variants.
No child is allowed to enroll in any public or private school within the CNMI unless evidence is presented to the enrolling officer that the child has had all applicable vaccinations or immunizations.
Valid health certificates will be required as proof upon enrollment.
The notice of proposed revisions was reviewed and approved by Attorney General Edward E. Manibusan for form and legal sufficiency, then published in the Commonwealth Register and posted in select public places.
Copies of the notice are available upon request from Heather Pangelinan, the CHCC administrator for mother, infant, child and adolescent health.
It can also be found online, along with the proposed amendments, at https://cnmilaw.org/pdf/cnmiregister/2021_Volume_43/2021_Number_10.pdf
Chair Lauri Ogumoro, vice chair Edward M. Deleon Guerrero, Corinne Santos, and Polly Masga comprise the CHCC board of trustees.
