Oakland Unified: Require vaccinations or 2x's/week testing
The Issue
Dear Oakland Unified School Board,
On August 9th, roughly 35,000 students plan to return to full in-person instruction. We know how important in-person school is to the learning and mental health of our young people, yet we are also dealing with a highly infectious delta variant and low levels of vaccination among 12-17 year olds. To ensure the safety of students, families, and staff, we must immediately require all staff and students who are eligible to either get fully vaccinated or participate in 2x’s/weekly testing.
In Alameda County as of August 6, 2021, the case rate is 23 per 100,000 (covidactnow.org using CDC data). When we reopened in the spring of 2021 the rate was ~5. A study from Great Britain gives us a sense of how the community case rate can impact school outbreaks. In this study of roughly ~928,000 students, they found that for every 5 new cases per 100,000 there was a 72% increased likelihood of a school outbreak (and this was prior to the delta variant).
To put it another way, we are currently seeing ~4 times the number of cases compared to last spring while attempting to reopen schools at full capacity with a more infectious variant, knowing full well that a higher community case rate will lead to more outbreaks. We need more precautions, not less, than we had in the spring. Last spring, we had outdoor eating (no indoor) and we had masking requirements indoors and outdoors. This fall, we are opening with indoor eating and no outdoor masking. For all these reasons, mass vaccination among all eligible is critical.
But aren’t we doing well with vaccination rates?
The Alameda County Department of Public Health data dashboard shows that 68% of Oakland residents over 12 years old are fully vaccinated, but when we break down the data, we see how much work remains. Currently only 47% of 12-17 year olds in Oakland are fully vaccinated (56% for Alameda County). And we are seeing racial disparities in vaccination rates for youth ages 12-17 in Alameda County. The overall rate of those with one vaccine shot in the county are 69% compared to 31% for African American youth and 50% for Latinx youth. We cannot sit by and watch COVID create even more suffering among those who already have borne the brunt of the economic, social, and human costs of the pandemic.
With millions of Americans and others around the world vaccinated, we have vast data attesting to the safety of the vaccine. And, for those who refuse vaccination, they can opt for a simple and pain-free test. We urge you, therefore, to act with expediency to require full vaccination or 2x’s/week testing.
The Issue
Dear Oakland Unified School Board,
On August 9th, roughly 35,000 students plan to return to full in-person instruction. We know how important in-person school is to the learning and mental health of our young people, yet we are also dealing with a highly infectious delta variant and low levels of vaccination among 12-17 year olds. To ensure the safety of students, families, and staff, we must immediately require all staff and students who are eligible to either get fully vaccinated or participate in 2x’s/weekly testing.
In Alameda County as of August 6, 2021, the case rate is 23 per 100,000 (covidactnow.org using CDC data). When we reopened in the spring of 2021 the rate was ~5. A study from Great Britain gives us a sense of how the community case rate can impact school outbreaks. In this study of roughly ~928,000 students, they found that for every 5 new cases per 100,000 there was a 72% increased likelihood of a school outbreak (and this was prior to the delta variant).
To put it another way, we are currently seeing ~4 times the number of cases compared to last spring while attempting to reopen schools at full capacity with a more infectious variant, knowing full well that a higher community case rate will lead to more outbreaks. We need more precautions, not less, than we had in the spring. Last spring, we had outdoor eating (no indoor) and we had masking requirements indoors and outdoors. This fall, we are opening with indoor eating and no outdoor masking. For all these reasons, mass vaccination among all eligible is critical.
But aren’t we doing well with vaccination rates?
The Alameda County Department of Public Health data dashboard shows that 68% of Oakland residents over 12 years old are fully vaccinated, but when we break down the data, we see how much work remains. Currently only 47% of 12-17 year olds in Oakland are fully vaccinated (56% for Alameda County). And we are seeing racial disparities in vaccination rates for youth ages 12-17 in Alameda County. The overall rate of those with one vaccine shot in the county are 69% compared to 31% for African American youth and 50% for Latinx youth. We cannot sit by and watch COVID create even more suffering among those who already have borne the brunt of the economic, social, and human costs of the pandemic.
With millions of Americans and others around the world vaccinated, we have vast data attesting to the safety of the vaccine. And, for those who refuse vaccination, they can opt for a simple and pain-free test. We urge you, therefore, to act with expediency to require full vaccination or 2x’s/week testing.
The Decision Makers
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Petition created on August 6, 2021