The Los Angeles Unified School district is requiring that all students get daily health checks and mandates wearing masks during school hours. Schools have been providing hand sanitizer and also have been taking higher measures to increase sanitation on school grounds. According to LAUSD they are requiring vaccinations for students to increase the safety of students. “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?” Board Member Scott M. Schmerelson said. During Covid several students had difficulties participating in virtual learning. Virtual learning is difficult because students can’t get help from the teachers when they can’t understand an assignment. “Our goal is to keep kids and teachers as safe as possible, and in the classroom,” Board Vice President Nick Melvoin said. Online learning is very different from learning while in class because explaining something on your computer is much more difficult than when someone explains an assignment face to face.

Cities like Long Beach and Pasadena do not mandate kids to get vaccinated. “Los Angeles Unified is the first major school district in the nation to require vaccines for students” stated Joe Hong from an article in the Desert Sun. Students under the age of 12 have already been getting the vaccination for school or other reasons. “The FDA has not fully approved the vaccine for children between the age of 12 and 15,” stated Hong. In order to keep children ages 11 and under healthy, and not COVID infected we need to have as many people vaccinated and wearing masks. A lot of the new mandates in schools have changed learning and activities for students. For example when kids join a sport they need to take a weekly COVID test in order to practice and play games. A good thing about getting the COVID shot is that schools are providing incentives for kids with the vaccine. One incentive is if you are vaccinated you get to skip the daily temperature check and the weekly covid tests.

There aren’t enough teachers who would risk their lives as they fear they would be infected with COVID if they return back to their school. Unfortunately the ratio for teacher to student is very high in the Los Angeles County area. Several reasons why parents or kids don’t want to get vaccinated is because they fear they will get sick or it’s not safe. If we don’t mandate kids getting vaccinated we will go back to being quarantined. 

“The vaccination for students is very important for schools because it keeps students and staff healthy and safe,” Board Member Dr. George J. McKenna III said, “We are requiring these Covid-19 vaccinations, because we continue to prioritize the health and safety of our students and employees.” LA County is requiring COVID-19 vaccination to enter some businesses and requires customers 12 and older to show proof of a COVID-19 vaccination card to enter indoor restaurants, bars, and gyms.