You may have heard that Governor Newsom recently mandated all students to have the COVID-19 vaccine in order to attend school. But do you know the details, like when, or why? This mandate will go into effect for the next school year, meaning that to attend school next year all students that are 12 years of age and older will be required to be completely vaccinated for COVID-19 in addition to all of the other vaccines that are already required for schools. This mandate makes California the first state to require its students to be COVID-19 vaccinated to attend school. Newsom explained that students K-12 are already required to have certain vaccines to attend school, for more information on the required vaccines to attend school in the Porterville Unified School District go to https://eziz.org/assets/docs/IMM-231.pdf.
The vaccine hasn’t been fully approved for students under the age of 12, but the state is hoping that a provisional approval will take place in December or January. If the vaccine is approved for children, the state will most likely require vaccines for students in all K-12 classes.
Governor Newsom believes that the mandate will prevent the schools from shutting down again which would result in transitioning back to online school. As of October 15th, all California school staff members must be vaccinated, be go through weekly COVID-19 in order to remain at work. For more information visit: https://www.gov.ca.gov/2021/10/01/california-becomes-first-state-in-nation-to-announce-covid-19-vaccine-requirements-for-schools/.
Here’s what some of our students and staff had to say:

-“Before my mom got the vaccine, she had COVID-19. After she got the vaccine, she got COVID-19 twice. So, she’s had COVID-19 twice with a vaccine and she’s gotten it again, so it’s not working.”
-“I think it’s dumb because some people have a strong immune system and just won’t get.”
-“The vaccine doesn’t work. I know so many people who’ve gotten the vaccine and still got COVID-19. I think the mandate is dumb because I’ve heard so many stories of how the vaccine messes with people’s hearts.”
-“For the COVID-19 mandate, I think that it’s a good thing because of how we already have vaccines for illnesses like Polio. Those vaccines prove that it prevents cases. So, mandating the vaccine will prevent us from getting COVID-19 and spreading it to others.”
-“I personally disagree with the vaccine mandate because the other vaccine mandates for school are to protect children. The case numbers show that children are hardly dying and being affected greatly by COVID-19, especially to the point where you’d mandate a vaccine in schools. I agree with the mandate in other places, but for school, children aren’t being affected by it.”
-“I think the vaccine mandate will be very effective and keep everyone safe.”
-“I don’t see any difference between being vaccinated for COVID-19 than being vaccinated for childhood diseases like chickenpox, mumps, and polio. The way it’ll get under control is the more people who are vaccinated and protected, we’ll be able to get back to normal.”
-“I believe people should be able to make their own choices to decide whether they want it and I don’t think mandates are necessary.”