Los Angeles schools postpone mandate for student vaccinations

A COVID-19 vaccination mandate for students 12 and older in the Los Angeles Unified School District has been postponed from this fall to next year.

The Board of Education voted Tuesday to delay the effective date of the mandate to no sooner than July 1, 2023, aligning the district with the state.

The change was recommended by district Superintendent Alberto M. Carvalho.

“Today’s vote shows that we are a science-based school district, and the health and safety protocols we adopt are influenced by the expert advice of our medical partners and public health officials,” Carvalho said in a statement.

Last year, California announced it would require all schoolchildren to receive the coronavirus vaccine, and Gov. Gavin Newsom estimated it would take effect for the start of the 2022-23 school year.

But last month, the Newsom administration paused the requirement until at least summer 2023 because school administrators worried they would not have enough time to implement the vaccine mandate.

“We know that students do best when learning in the classroom with their peers,” Carvalho said. “Due to the high vaccination rates among students 12 and older, low transmission rates in our schools and our nation-leading safety measures, we have preserved inperson learning in the safest possible environment.”