Written by: Natalia Perez
The San Diego Unified School District board voted Tuesday evening unanimously to mandate vaccines for all staff and eligible students.
The vote follows a similar decision by the Los Angeles Unified School District. Additionally, Gov. Gavin Newsom also said this week that his office is discussing a statewide vaccine mandate with school districts, but nothing has been decided.
FOX 5 in San Diego reported that “staff and students over 16 in San Diego will be required to get vaccinated by Dec. 20 to allow the second dose to take full effect before the end of winter break.”
According to KGTV in San Diego, eligible students not vaccinated by the deadline will have to do an independent study. They also won’t be able to participate in sports or other after-school activities.
Let Them Choose, an initiative launched by the group Let Them Breathe, which opposed mask mandates in schools, plans to bring a lawsuit over the vote. “We’ve seen them before not honor parents’ voices and we hope they do. If they don’t, we’re ready to take legal action against a mandate if it’s passed,” founder Sharon McKeeman told FOX 5 before the vote.
This decision has infuriated many San Diegans. Some even rallied outside San Diego Unified School District. The rally mainly consisted of parents who opposed government officials making decisions based on their behalf. Parents want to see long-term studies of the vaccine before injecting their children with it.
Photo from: Sandy Huffaker/Getty Images
