City Will Not Ask SMMUSD To Avoid Mandatory Covid Shots

Malibu will not send a letter to the school board in Santa Monica to oppose mandatory vaccinations against Covid 19 for school children. 

88 people signed up to speak at last night’s Malibu city council meeting … to oppose any possible mandate for vaccinating school kids against the Covid 19 pandemic.

And the city council stopped short of doing what they want.  The city will not send a letter to the santa Monica school board … no letter opposing mandatory vaccines for kids.

Anti-vax activists had drafted a letter that they wanted the city council to sign and send to the school district.  It would have put the city on record as opposing mandatory vaccines for school kids.

That failed … on a 3 to 2 vote last night.  Instead … the city will send a letter to the school board … the governor … anyone who can read.   The letter will describe the fears of the parents … the parents who spoke last night, like these:

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VOICE 1: “Please I beg of you please email this letter send this letter to the school board and the governor and when there is a risk there must be a choice.  Thank you so much … please support us in this effort”

VOICE 2:  “I am not an anti-VAX her in general I am an attorney I deal in facts and I deal in logic and in light of that to me that were even having a discussion this far into the pandemic about forcing children to take this vaccine is insane.

VOICE 3: “I oppose imposing a COVID-19 mandate. We should review our factual data and give the community a great job the community has been doing to alleviate the risk again I am vaccinated and two weeks ago. I traveled out of state for work and within 48 hours a infected my entire family with the Covid.

“We conquered Covid and only experienced mild symptoms.  We did our part we quarantined and insured that our schools and community remain safe. I understand this is not your jurisdiction but I played you to please support us in this effort.”

Samantha Binah … David Olson … and Melissa Solano.

Every speaker got 60 seconds last night.  The meeting started at about 9 o’clock for the school issue… prior to that time the entire discussion was taken up with public anger over the Southern California Edison blackouts. We’ll cover that issue tomorrow.

Only one person spoke in favor of the mandate … no one wanting to publicly step in front of a freight train of anti tax mandate fury.  And all he said was vaccines work … nothing more. 

The city’s letter will apparently recite facts about the outcry of opposition last night.  But the city council stopped short of the parents demand.  Here is their reasoning.

Mike Pierson supported sending the parents letter:

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“This letter isn’t about the overall science of viruses or of Covid. It simply states that until more data is collected to prove long-term efficacy with little or no harmful side effects that City Of Malibu is not in favor of enforcing this mandate on children at this time. It doesn’t say we won’t change our mind.”

Paul Grisanti was in favor of the parents letter … as well. 

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“There is a big benefit of being vaccinated … there’s a big benefit for older people. There is a big difference as a result of being vaccinated. There is a big benefit for elder people. I don’t know that there is any benefit for kids.

That argument lost.

On the other side were Bruce Silverstein.

He suggested that the school district segregate the vaccinated kids from the non-vaccinated kids… Separate but equal education on the same campuses.

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“If I had school-age children I would have them vaccinated. And I would have concerns about my children attending school with other children who aren’t vaccinated. But I also respect the contrary view. To all those persons, I don’t support sending a letter opposing a vaccine mandate.”

And Steve Uhring said he can’t make a medical decision on facts not before him.

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“There’s this new virus … this omicron or whatever it is. I have no idea what the impact of this is going to be. I don’t know there are countries closing their borders. This thing could be more transmissible than the thing that we already have. I don’t know. 

“Do I make a decision about something that could harm somebody when I don’t know anything about it?”

Karen Farrer was on the 3 to 2 majority … voting against the proposed letter.  She said she has two small grandchildren … and she understands parents fears.

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 “They fear for their children especially – and I understand – the very young children … the five-year-old (and) six-year-olds …having this requirement or being kicked out of school. And I feel for you guys. 

“And one more reminder…we don’t have jurisdiction.”

Bottom line … the city manager will draft a letter … describing the public sentiment voiced at the city council meeting last night.

But the city council will not take a stand on what the parents said.

Two city council members will review the letter … before it is sent out to the governor the school board and anyone else who wants to read it. 

The governors office has ordered mandatory vaccinations for school children as soon as the vaccine is approved by the federal government. 

Some vaccines are already approved for teenagers age 16 and up. 

And speaking of vaccinations… The Santa Monica Malibu school district is offering free vaccinations today at Malibu High School to anyone… regardless of whether they have a kid at the school or not. 

People can sign up for the vaccine at my turn California on the Internet. 

Follow up second doses will be administered on December 22 at Malibu high school… but can be administered anywhere if people are traveling.

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