Why L.A. delayed enforcing its student vaccine mandate

Nevertheless, the Los Angeles Unified School District — the first major district in the United States to call for such a mandate — decided this week to slow things down. Board members voted 6-1 not to enforce the vaccine deadline, originally scheduled for Jan. 10, until fall 2022.

That’s because the district did not know what to do with the tens of thousands of students who were still unvaccinated.

The delay illustrated the challenges that schools across the country could face if they mandate vaccinations for children: a dearth of good alternatives for students who don’t comply, and the resulting ripple effects that could strain districts’ resources, hurting even those students who do get the shot.