LOS ANGELES, California— Children aged 12 years and above who are attending public schools in Los Angeles will have to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by the start of next year, the Chiefs on Education said on Thursday, citing a major requirement by the education board in U.S.
The vote from the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) and by US President. Joe Biden set out as the nation deals with the surging of infection numbers due to the highly contagious Delta variant, and ordering companies with 100 or more personnel to have them fully vaccinated.
Kelly Gonez, the LAUSD Board President, said that the vaccines are safe, effective, and the best way to keep students protected against the virus with almost 600,000 students attending public schools managed by the LAUSD.
“We will work to ensure families have reliable medical information in the coming weeks.” Gonez mentioned in the meeting.
The district has already mandated a regular testing for children, and that masks are required to be worn inside and outside the campus and staff must be vaccinated as well.
According to the new rules, children who will attend face-to-face classes will need to have their first dose on November 21 and must have the second dose for full immunity on January 10. Scientists assured that second shots maximize immunity after two weeks of being administered.
There are around 58 percent of children aged between 12 and 18 who had their first shot, according to local health officials.