The Los Angeles Unified School District will extend its deadline set for teachers and staff to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

The original deadline had been set for this Friday, Oct. 15, but that date will now now serve as the deadline for a first dose, with workers having until Nov. 15 to be fully vaccinated.

According to City News Service, the school district made the change in order to  “protect the health and safety of all students and employees and also to ensure that all employees are able to be vaccinated with the COVID-19 vaccine of their choice.”

Even with the vaccination requirements, students and staff will continue to take weekly COVID-19 tests until at least the end of the semester.

On Oct. 1, California was the first state in the U.S. to launch a universal vaccine order for students.

“The state already requires that students are vaccinated against viruses that cause measles, mumps, and rubella – there’s no reason why we wouldn’t do the same for COVID-19. Today’s measure, just like our first-in-the-nation school masking and staff vaccination requirements, is about protecting our children and school staff, and keeping them in the classroom,” Newsom said on Friday, October 1. “Vaccines work. It’s why California leads the country in preventing school closures and has the lowest case rates. We encourage other states to follow our lead to keep our kids safe and prevent the spread of COVID-19.”

The order currently applies to students over 12 years old who qualify for COVID-19 vaccinations and will apply to younger students when given authorization by the FDA.

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