https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2022-01-24/new-vaccine-legislation-california-schoolchildren-mandate * Business * California * Climate & Environment * Entertainment & Arts * En Espanol * Food * Housing & Homelessness * Image * Lifestyle * Obituaries * Opinion * Politics * Science * Sports * Travel * World & Nation * All Sections * _________________ * Newsletters * Photography * Podcasts * Video * _________________ * About Us + About Us + Archives + Company News + eNewspaper + For the Record + Got a Tip? + L.A. Times Careers + L.A. Times Store + L.A. Times Studios + News App: Apple IOS + News App: Google Play + Newsroom Directory + Public Affairs + Rights, Clearance & Permissions + About Us + Archives + Company News + eNewspaper + For the Record + Got a Tip? + L.A. Times Careers + L.A. Times Store + L.A. Times Studios + News App: Apple IOS + News App: Google Play + Newsroom Directory + Public Affairs + Rights, Clearance & Permissions * Advertising + Place an Ad + Classifieds + Coupons + People on the Move + Find/Post Jobs + Local Ads Marketplace + Media Kit: Why the L.A. Times? + Hot Property Sections + Place an Open House + Sotheby's International Realty + Place an Ad + Classifieds + Coupons + People on the Move + Find/Post Jobs + Local Ads Marketplace + Media Kit: Why the L.A. Times? + Hot Property Sections + Place an Open House + Sotheby's International Realty * Bestcovery * B2B Publishing * Business Visionaries * Hot Property * Crossword & Games * L.A. Times Events * L.A. Times Store * Subscriptions + Manage Subscription + EZPAY + Delivery Issue + eNewspaper + Students & Educators + Subscribe + Subscriber Terms + Gift Subscription Terms + Manage Subscription + EZPAY + Delivery Issue + eNewspaper + Students & Educators + Subscribe + Subscriber Terms + Gift Subscription Terms Copyright (c) 2022, Los Angeles Times | Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | CA Notice of Collection | Do Not Sell My Personal Information Sections * California * Entertainment * Sports * Food * Climate * Image * Opinion * | * Bestcovery * Coupons * Crossword * eNewspaper Show Search [ ]Search Query Submit Search * Latest: COVID-19 * Virus tracker * Hospitalizations * Vaccines * About free tests Advertisement * Facebook * Twitter * Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options * Facebook * Twitter * LinkedIn * Email * Copy Link URLCopied! * Print California All California schoolchildren must be vaccinated against COVID-19 under new bill A child receives a COVID-19 vaccine shot A child receives a COVID-19 vaccine shot at Children's Hospital Los Angeles' clinic in Arcadia earlier this month. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) By Melody GutierrezStaff Writer Jan. 24, 2022 5 AM PT * Facebook * Twitter * Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options * Facebook * Twitter * LinkedIn * Email * Copy Link URLCopied! * Print SACRAMENTO -- A California lawmaker known for tightening restrictions on school vaccine laws will propose a bill Monday to close a loophole in the state's requirement that children receive COVID-19 shots. State Sen. Richard Pan (D-Sacramento) will announce Monday morning a bill to add COVID-19 vaccines to California's list of required inoculations for attending K-12 schools, a move that would override Gov. Gavin Newsom's scaled-back mandate from last year. "We need to make sure schools are safe so that all parents are comfortable sending their children to school," said Pan, a pediatrician whose legislation has strengthened oversight of vaccine exemptions in previous years. "And we want to keep schools open." Pan's legislation is the second major vaccine bill announced this year by a group of Democratic lawmakers who formed a work group last week to focus on measures to increase vaccination rates and reduce misinformation. On Thursday, Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) introduced Senate Bill 866, which would permit children 12 and older to choose to be vaccinated, including against COVID-19, without a parent's consent or knowledge. Advertisement Both bills are expected to be met with strong opposition from groups that object to vaccine mandates and those who argue that medical decisions for children should be left to parents. Legislative attempts to change vaccine laws in schools have previously led to intense deliberations, prolonged protests and arrests. "We should be having conversations about what's best for our children and what's best for the safety of schools," Pan said. San Diego, CA - January 19: Nurse Jessica Serven attends to 6-year-old COVID19 patient Rachel Ward at Rady Children's Hospital on Wednesday, Jan. 19, 2022 in San Diego, CA. (Irfan Khan / Irfan Khan) California At California hospitals, many children are coming in with COVID -- not for COVID Health officials say the rising numbers among children are the result of the rapid spread of the Omicron variant, which is much more easily transmitted than earlier strains of the coronavirus. California currently requires students at all public and private schools to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. However, that mandate, which was announced by Newsom in October, does not take effect until after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration fully approves the shot for children ages 12 and older. Currently, the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is fully approved for ages 16 and older, and there is an emergency authorization in place for ages 5 to 15. Newsom's mandate is limited to grades seven through 12 and has a key caveat: Once the vaccine is fully approved, parents could still cite personal beliefs to opt their children out of being inoculated. The state must offer broader personal belief exemptions for any newly required vaccine unless it is added through a new law to the list of shots students must receive to attend school in California. State law requires a medical exemption to skip some or all of those vaccines for in-person attendance at K-12 schools. Pan's bill will go much further than Newsom's mandate, starting with requiring all students from kindergarten through 12th grade to be vaccinated against COVID-19 beginning Jan. 1. That requirement would be in place even if Pfizer-BioNTech remains available through emergency authorization for ages 5 to 15, although Pan said that language is "something we're still working out." By adding COVID-19 shots to the state's list of required vaccines for students, parents would need a medical exemption in order to skip those doses. Pan said issues surrounding COVID-19 vaccine boosters are not currently addressed in his bill. "That's one of the things we'll have to work out," he said. The bill proposed by Pan would also allow the California Department of Public Health to mandate vaccines in the future without requiring the state to offer personal belief exemptions. On Friday, interim school district Supts. Megan Reilly of Los Angeles Unified and Lamont Jackson of San Diego Unified urged legislative leaders to take "urgent action to enact a statewide vaccine mandate for public school students." Last month, a San Diego County judge struck down a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for San Diego Unified students. Facing its own litigation, L.A. Unified officials postponed enforcement of its vaccine mandate until the fall. At L.A. Unified, the state's largest school district, infections remain near record levels, although rates have decreased and attendance improved during the second week following the return of students from winter break. "The evidence clearly shows that vaccines help reduce the spread of infection, which will reduce transmission in schools and protect those who are medically vulnerable," the superintendents wrote in a letter to legislative leaders. "The vaccine will also help reduce COVID-related absences, and reduce the likelihood that schools will need to be closed for outbreaks." --------------------------------------------------------------------- CaliforniaPoliticsCalifornia Politics COVID-19 Pandemic Newsletter The stories shaping California Get up to speed with our Essential California newsletter, sent six days a week. Enter email address [ ] Sign Me Up You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. [gif] Melody Gutierrez Follow Us * twitter * instagram * email * facebook Melody Gutierrez covers state government and politics in Sacramento for the Los Angeles Times. Show Comments Subscribers Are Reading * LOS ANGELES, CA - DECEMBER 10: The clouds at sunset are seen from the Savers thrift store parking lot on Friday, Dec. 10, 2021 in Lomita, CA. (Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times) Lifestyle For Subscribers Lonely in L.A.? These 21 places and experiences will help you embrace it * A photograph of Bob Saget and John Stamos together in an angel wing frame. Television Read the raunchy, heartbreaking speech John Stamos gave at Bob Saget's memorial * PACIFIC PALISADES, CA-SEPTEMBER 21, 2018: Shopping center developer Rick Caruso is photographed on the grounds of his latest project, Palisades Village in Pacific Palisades, that is opening on Saturday. (Mel Melcon/Los Angeles Times) California Does L.A. want a billionaire mayor? Rick Caruso is trying to find out * Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige Dr. Dre, Eminem and Kendrick will perform for PEPSI(r) Super Bowl LVI Halftime Show Entertainment & Arts 72 hours of unpaid work? 'Unacceptable,' say dancers and critics of Super Bowl halftime show Subscribers Are Reading * Lifestyle For Subscribers Lonely in L.A.? These 21 places and experiences will help you embrace it * Television Read the raunchy, heartbreaking speech John Stamos gave at Bob Saget's memorial * California Does L.A. want a billionaire mayor? Rick Caruso is trying to find out * Entertainment & Arts 72 hours of unpaid work? 'Unacceptable,' say dancers and critics of Super Bowl halftime show * California Amid housing crunch, officials want Orange County to stay the way it is Advertisement Latest California * California 'Beautiful young ladies' among 4 gunned down in ambush at Inglewood birthday party * California Big Sur wildfire burn zone not as large as feared * California For Subscribers More than 70 San Diego school employees to be fired for not getting COVID-19 vaccine * California Rick Caruso changes registration to Democrat as he weighs a run for L.A. mayor * California NBA player Jaxson Hayes charged with domestic violence, resisting arrest in L.A. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Los Angeles Times A California Times publication Subscribe for unlimited access Follow Us * twitter * instagram * youtube * facebook * + eNewspaper + Coupons + Find/Post Jobs + Place an Ad + Media Kit: Why the L. A. Times? + Bestcovery * + Crossword + Sudoku + Obituaries + Recipes + L.A. Times Store + Wine Club * + About/Contact + For the Record + L.A. Times Careers + Manage Subscription + Reprints and Permissions + Site Map Copyright (c) 2022, Los Angeles Times | Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | CA Notice of Collection | Do Not Sell My Personal Information