Oakland schools mandate older students get COVID-19 shots by Jan. 1 or return to online classes
Oakland schools will require all students 12 and older to be vaccinated for COVID-19 by Jan. 1, joining several other California districts in mandating the shots despite a lack of full federal approval.
The city’s school board narrowly approved the most stringent mandate among three options presented Wednesday, rejecting mandated vaccines only for extracurricular activities and a do-nothing choice, which would mean waiting until the state’s mandate kicks in, likely sometime next year.
District officials noted that the policy was likely to have a great impact on groups with lower vaccination rates, including African American, Latino or multiracial, with proportionally more of those students excluded from in-person school.
Board President Shanti Gonzales and board members Mike Hutchinson and Aimee Eng opposed the move.
“Both sides are very concerned,” said board Vice President Sam Davis. “We don’t want this to push students out of school.”
That said, the four who supported the mandate cited the devastating impact the virus has had in the community.
“I’m just really concerned about students infecting their family members,” Davis said. “And I’m concerned about a winter surge.
The mandate is only for those 12 and over and would not apply to younger students even if vaccines are authorized for that age group. Experts say approval for a shot for 5-11 year olds could come as early as next week. The policy allows for medical and personal belief exemptions.
UCSF infectious disease expert Dr. George Rutherford said he supported the mandate, calling is “an exceptionally reasonable choice,’ although questioned the personal belief exemption.
“That may be the price for getting it done,” he said.
Los Angeles Unified was among the first to approve a vaccine mandate, which kicks in for all students on Jan. 10, with no personal belief exemption. The policy will also apply to those under 12 when the vaccine is available to that age group. Adults in the district also have a vaccine mandate, which kicked in Oct. 15.
In Piedmont, eligible students must be vaccinated by Nov. 17, with no personal belief exemption. Younger students will have eight weeks to be fully vaccinated once eligible for the shots.
San Francisco has declined to require vaccines for students, teachers and staff, although unvaccinated adults must submit to weekly testing, which is a statewide public health requirement in all schools.
COVID-19 rates across the Bay Area and the country have been declining since the delta surge in late summer. In Oakland, the most recent data shows 22 new student and three staff cases for the week of Oct. 18. No classrooms were under at-home quarantine.
District staff in Oakland advised the school board that the Jan. 1 vaccine requirement would provide the most immediate impact, staff said, but also cost up to $350,000 to administer the requirement and pay for outside agencies to provide vaccines.
District officials decided the mandate was worth the costs and criticism coming from opponents of vaccination requirements.
“As of adoption of this Policy, COVID-19 has tragically claimed the lives of over 600,000 Americans, more than 68,000 Californians, and more than 1,300 residents of Alameda County,” district officials said in a memo to the board. “The pandemic has caused significant suffering to millions more, including many district students, families, and staff.”
Staff will work with each student who is not vaccinated to ensure they can get one if they want, Davis said.
Students not granted an exemption will be required to attend school online, transferring to Sojourner Truth Independent Study school.
The policy applies to charter school students if they share space with district students or if they interact with them in sports.
Jill Tucker is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: [email protected]
