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Los Angeles Unified to Require All Students 12 and Older to be Vaccinated Against COVID-19 by January 10, 2022 (09-09-21)
CONTACT: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Shannon Haber, 213-393-1289 September 9, 2021
Los Angeles Unified to Require All Students 12 and Older to be Vaccinated Against COVID-19 by January 10, 2022
LOS ANGELES (September 9, 2021) – As part of the Los Angeles Unified School District’s efforts to provide the safest possible environment in which to learn and work, all students 12 years old and older will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by January 10, 2022, unless they have a medical or other exemption.
A proof of vaccination must be uploaded into the Los Angeles Unified’s Daily Pass system.
“The science is clear – vaccinations are an essential part of protection against COVID-19,” Interim Superintendent Megan K. Reilly said. “The COVID-19 vaccines are safe, effective and requiring eligible students to be vaccinated is the strongest way to protect our school community.”
To date, Los Angeles Unified’s robust safety measures include daily health checks for everyone going onto school campuses, masks, comprehensive COVID-19 testing, contact tracing and isolation of cases, hand sanitizer, increased sanitization/cleaning of schools and upgraded ventilation. This additional step provides another layer of safety in schools.
“Today’s decision furthers our longstanding commitment to ensure the safety of our students, families, and staff,” Board President Kelly Gonez said. “The vaccine is the single best way to protect students and schools from COVID-19. Los Angeles Unified is committed to meeting our families where they are and providing them with reliable medical information about this safe, effective vaccine.”
“Our goal is to keep kids and teachers as safe as possible, and in the classroom,” Board Vice President Nick Melvoin said. “A medical and scientific consensus has emerged that the best way to protect everyone in our schools and communities is for all those who are eligible to get vaccinated. This policy is the best way to make that happen.”
“We are requiring these Covid-19 vaccinations, because we continue to prioritize the health and safety of our students and employees,” Board Member Dr. George J. McKenna III said. “Mandatory immunizations for eligible students protect the entire Los Angeles Unified family. I’m old enough to remember when polio crippled some of my classmates. In fact, school children received the first, life-saving polio vaccination in 1954. Keep in mind that nationwide, more than 250,000 children were diagnosed with Covid-19 last week.”
“Today’s action to mandate vaccines for eligible students continues our commitment to make sure our schools are as safe as possible for our students, staff, and families,” Board Member Mónica García said. “We are learners and leaders, and we must move through this pandemic with a focus on wellness and community building as we navigate different perspectives and experiences.”
“We have kept our students safe by following decades of responsible public health policies for our children,” Board Member Scott M. Schmerelson said after the vote was made. “Yet, we continue to battle a deadly global pandemic. If requiring the vaccine for eligible students will continue to keep them safe, why not do it? Students need stability, support, and to be in a classroom learning with their peers. This will only happen if we move forward and implement protocols that will allow our schools to remain the safest places for our students, staff, and families.”
“Vaccinating eligible students is the logical next step in the fight to keep our children and entire communities protected from COVID-19,” Board Member Jackie Goldberg said. “Requiring kids to receive a safe and effective vaccine isn’t new—schools have had mandatory vaccination policy for decades. Los Angeles Unified will always take every step possible to provide children, their families, and communities with accurate health information and access to testing and vaccines. This is smart, protects everyone, and helps keep our schools open as safe learning environments.”
“This vaccine mandate represents one of the greatest responsibilities we have at this moment to our students and one of the greatest opportunities for the future of our entire community," Board Member Tanya Ortiz Franklin said. "By ensuring all eligible students are vaccinated by January 10, 2022 (and staff by October 15, 2021) along with providing access to the vaccine as well as education about its benefits and risks, Los Angeles Unified is proudly doing all we can to protect and serve our most vulnerable populations.”
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For more information about the student vaccination requirement, please visit: https://achieve.lausd.net/covidfaq.
Para más información sobre el requisito de vacunación de los estudiantes, por favor visite https://achieve.lausd.net/covidfaq.
