Nick Reisman is reporting for State of Politics U.S. Rep. Lee Zeldin October 1, said he is against mandating COVID-19 vaccinations for school-aged children. Zeldin is the top Republican seeking the GOP nomination for governor of New York. “Considering the science and data, vaccines widely available for educators and other staff, treatment and testing options continuing to get even better, and other mitigation measures still in effect, New York state should absolutely not require the COVID vaccine for New York's schoolchildren," he said. Children under the age of 12 are yet to qualify for the vaccine, but approval could be granted in the coming weeks. Gov. Kathy Hochul's administration is encouraging vaccinations for young students in New York through pop-up sites in areas that have low rates of vaccinations. Students in New York are already required to have multiple vaccinations at various ages before attending school. Read the full story at nystateofpolitics [dot] com.