With the official approval of COVID-19 vaccines for 5- to 11-year-olds, vaccine clinics for Lab families will be held Nov. 9 and 30 from 2–7:30 p.m.

According to an Oct. 21 email sent to all parents, the specifics will be subject to change depending on the availability of vaccines for 5- to 11-year-olds, and more information will be given in subsequent emails.

While most restrictions will stay in place after vaccinations, lower school Principal Sylvie Anglin indicated that restrictions for fully vaccinated students will be less stringent. 

According to Ms. Anglin, fully vaccinated lower school students will no longer need to be tested for COVID-19 weekly, and after a known exposure, vaccinated students will only have to pass a COVID-19 test before going back into the classroom instead of quarantining. Vaccinated students will also no longer have to quarantine after taking a trip outside of the city. 

Students will not be fully vaccinated by Thanksgiving, so students taking trips to certain states over break will still have to quarantine before returning to school.

Samantha Morales, a Lab parent of second grader London, said her family was interested in a trip for Thanksgiving, but because London would have to quarantine upon returning, Ms. Morales decided against the trip.

In the meantime, some parents say they are appreciative of Lab’s efforts to keep the community safe. 

Lab parent and nursery school teacher Betsy Jennett said the high vaccination rates in Lab students gives her “a lot of peace” because those vaccinated students are the older siblings of her students and her daughter’s friends. 

She said, “I’m grateful that this community has taken vaccinations as seriously as they have.”