Governor Jay Inslee of Washington has announced a vaccine mandate for all K-12 school and college employees, including employees of private institutions.

“The Church has made it clear that it is morally permissible to be vaccinated against COVID-19,” Bishop Thomas Daly of Spokane said in a statement. “However, I am very much aware that some individuals struggle with poor health, underlying medical issues, or sincere moral objections to vaccines. It is important to remember that in Catholic moral theology, a person’s conscience may not be violated.”

“While we encourage vaccination, we do not intend on violating the consciences of our Catholic school teachers nor do we intend on vouching for another person’s conscience,” he added. “We are in conversation with civic and health officials about government mandated vaccination requirements and will offer further guidance to parish and school personnel in due time.”