AUSTIN, Texas — Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, along with Attorney General Ken Paxton and other state leaders, opposed COVID-19 vaccine mandates and other protective measures throughout the pandemic. His stance hasn't changed now that the virus has waned substantially.  

On Thursday, the governor directed the Texas Education Agency as well as superintendents across the Lone Star State to forbid vaccine mandates as a condition for school attendance. 

In a letter to TEA Commissioner Mike Morath and statewide superintendents, Gov. Abbott cites Executive Order GA-39, which he passed in August, stating that no governmental entity in Texas can mandate the COVID-19 vaccine. He reiterates in his letter that his previous order allows parents to make the decision for their children to be vaccinated.

Gov. Abbott’s letter follows a recent recommendation by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to add the vaccine to immunization schedules for adults and students. The recommendations were not a federal mandate.

“Despite attempts at federal overreach into the health care decisions of Americans, in Texas we continue to honor and defend the freedom of parents to choose what is best for the health and well-being of their families,” reads the letter. “Regardless of what the CDC may suggest, in Texas, the COVID-19 vaccine remains voluntary. Texas schools shall not require students to receive the COVID-19 vaccine for any reason.”

Citing Texas law, Abbott reiterated that parents have the option to opt their children out of vaccines for religious and health reasons.