LA Schools Extend Deadline for Staff COVID-19 Vaccinations

A person receives a COVID-19 vaccine at a drive-thru clinic at Richardson Stadium in Kingston, Ont., on May 28, 2021. The Canadian Press/Lars Hagberg

The Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) extended its deadline on Monday for staff to receive COVID-19 vaccinations, allowing an additional month for workers to meet the state’s requirement.

SEIU Local 99, the teachers’ union that represents the school district’s staff, said the “bargaining team has negotiated an agreement with LAUSD to ensure that workers will have sufficient time to be fully vaccinated.”

The new agreement (pdf) changed the deadline to receive the second dose from Oct. 15, 2021, to Nov. 15, 2021. All employees must receive the first dose by Oct. 31 to avoid an end to employment.

The teachers’ union said on Twitter on Sept. 30 that it was working to extend the vaccine deadline to Oct. 31. The new agreement allows an additional two weeks.

The requirement was first announced by the LAUSD in August. “This additional step goes above local and federal health guidelines in order to provide another layer of safety in our schools, especially for our youngest learners,” the school district said in a statement.

In addition to the staff vaccine requirement, the LAUSD has added a requirement for all students ages 12 years old and above to receive a COVID-19 vaccine by Jan. 10, 2022.

“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,” she added.

On Oct. 1, Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-Calif.) announced the COVID-19 vaccine will be added to the list of vaccinations required to attend school in-person for middle and high school grades statewide after the vaccine receives approval from the Food and Drug Administration.

“The state already requires that students are vaccinated against viruses that cause measles, mumps, and rubella—there’s no reason why we wouldn’t do the same for COVID-19. Today’s measure, just like our first-in-the-nation school masking and staff vaccination requirements, is about protecting our children and school staff, and keeping them in the classroom,” Newsom said in a statement.

“Vaccines work. It’s why California leads the country in preventing school closures and has the lowest case rates. We encourage other states to follow our lead to keep our kids safe and prevent the spread of COVID-19,” he added.

The move makes California the first state in the nation to announce a COVID-19 vaccination requirement for middle and high school students.