Get a grip, take a trip and get vaccinated
Aili Forster, Staff Writer
On Sept. 9, the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) decided to have all Los Angeles schools require COVID-19 vaccination for students 12 years old and up. This should be a sign for the Santa Monica Malibu Unified School District (SMMUSD), to follow LAUSD in requiring COVID-19 vaccination for in-person school. A vaccine mandate would reassure students of their safety and would be a solution to the alienation unvaccinated students could be feeling.
The LAUSD vaccine mandate requires students doing sports or other extracurriculars to be fully vaccinated by the end of October. Other students have to be fully vaccinated by Dec. 19 in order for everyone to be vaccinated when school starts after winter break. They have also done regular testing across all schools, especially for students under age 12 who are not eligible to get vaccinated.
Now that Samo is doing regular testing, positive cases have come up in every grade level. At the moment, if a student tests positive, they must stay home from school for seven days. Anyone in contact with a positive case must also stay at home for seven days unless they are fully vaccinated. This was a dangerous decision, as it is unsafe for students who are likely carrying covid to come to school, even if they are vaccinated and asymptomatic. Without a vaccination mandate, there is no way of knowing who is vaccinated and who is not. This has caused concern among the student body, as students are worried about the uncertainty of their safety.
“I feel better knowing that I’m vaccinated, but I feel like it would also bring some comfort to know that everyone was vaccinated around me,” Sienna Goetz (’24) said.
According to Los Angeles County of Public Health, over 97 percent of kids ages 12 to 17 in Santa Monica are vaccinated. As Samo makes up a large portion of the teenage population in Santa Monica, this would mean that the majority of Samo students are vaccinated. Having all students vaccinated would further ensure the safety of our school as well as the city
The implementation of a vaccination mandate would also be a way to address the alienation that may arise between unvaccinated students and their inoculated peers. Many students simply don’t have the choice to get vaccinated due to their guardian’s vaccine hesitancy. Vaccination mandates have been prominent in school for many years but the COVID-19 vaccine seems to have more people hesitant, possibly due to the quick/fast development of it. Guardians would have to make a choice between their own beliefs and their child’s education quality. For the child, the vaccine mandate would make it easier for them to be included in certain activities as well as an in-person school in general.
Principal Antonio Shelton speaks on the topic of a new statewide vaccine mandate, and what the school would do.
“The State is implementing a vaccine mandate. So we will follow what the state requirement will be,” Shelton said.
While there is an independent study program available for students who are still unable to go to in-person school, there are significant advantages for students going to in-person school. More opportunities are accessible to in-person students such as extracurricular activities, clubs, and sports. The current independent study program is very different from what Samo students experienced for most of last year. There are no live zoom classes or interactions with other students. A teacher will check in with the independent study student once a week on zoom to check the students progress and work. The isolation these students might feel could also be detrimental to the mental health of students. While their academic performance might be suffering, their mental health could as well. Knowing that they could be learning in-person and socializing can be discouraging when sitting at home.
For students and parents who are hesitant about letting their children or themselves get vaccinated, the risks of getting COVID-19 have much greater consequences. Without in-person school, students miss out on opportunities that their vaccinated peers are benefiting from. The COVID-19 vaccine is free and available to all high schoolers. And while weekly testing and safety protocols like wearing masks are important, a vaccination mandate would be an added bonus for the security of our schools to stay open in order to not go back to distance learning.
Art by Aili Forster