LAUSD to require COVID-19 vaccination for most on-campus students 12 and older

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- The Los Angeles Unified School District's school board on Thursday approved a requirement for most students age 12 and over to be vaccinated against COVID-19 to attend in-person classes.

The mandate requires "COVID-19 vaccinations for all students who access in-person instructional programs operated on district facilities, who are 12 years of age and older."

The plan requires students age 12 and older who take part in in-person extracurricular programs to have a first vaccine dose by Oct. 3, and their second no later than Oct. 31.

All other students aged 12 and up would be required to receive their first dose by Nov. 21, and their second by Dec. 19. Other students would have to receive their first dose no later than 30 days after their 12th birthday, and their second dose no later than eight weeks after turning 12.

The mandate would apply to all district students, along with charter school students on "co-located district school facilities."

The LAUSD will become the nation's first major school district to adopt such a mandate. The district already has some of the most rigorous safety measures in place, including COVID-19 testing for all students and employees on a weekly basis.

Children under age 12 are ineligible for COVID vaccines since none of the currently available vaccines have been approved for use in that age group. The Pfizer vaccine is approved on an emergency use basis for people aged 12-15, and it has full authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for people 16 and over.

According to the county Department of Public Health, 60.8% of residents aged 12-15 in Los Angeles County have received at least one dose of vaccine as of Sept. 2.

All district employees must be fully vaccinated by Oct. 15.

City News Service contributed to this report.