By MIYAH SANBORN and AVA LARSON

On Oct. 1, California Governor Gavin Newsom announced plans to require the vaccines for the 2022-2023 school year. The upcoming school vaccine mandate is causing many controversies within school districts, parents, and students.

According to the California Office of Governor Oct. 1 press release, “After implementing first-in-the-nation school masking and staff vaccination measures, California becomes the first state to announce plans to require student vaccinations – adding the COVID-19 vaccine to list of vaccinations required for school, such as the vaccines for measles, mumps, and rubella Students will be required to be vaccinated for in person learning starting the term following FDA full approval of the vaccine for their grade span (7-12 and K-6).”

Students at Redlands East Valley High School express different opinions on the issue.

“I feel like it’s definitely needed, it’s very important that all of us are safe and have the vaccine and I’m definitely for it,” says Isabella Estrada, REV sophomore.

By making the vaccine mandatory, some students believe that life on campus would become a lot safer for the students and the teachers. 

“I feel like it’s really definitely needed because a lot of people, at this school specifically, and I guess every school, really don’t follow covid guidelines, and at least if they were vaccinated it would be a little bit better.”Says Samantha Covarrubias  a sophomore at REV. 

While some expressed that the vaccine mandate is necessary to stop the spread of COVID-19, others worry about the side effects that getting the vaccine may cause.

“I think it’s stupid because of the problems it causes. Women who are in their like 70’s and 80’s who are hemorrhaging and getting their periods all over again, and then there’s infertility with younger women, and it’s causing deaths, and a bunch of other stuff that’s not good for humanity,” said REV sophomore Ashley Ranabuer.

There are also students at REV who believe that it is unnecessary and unfair to force the vaccine on those who do not want to get the vaccine. 

“Myself, next year if it becomes a mandate I’m not going to go to school. It is your own choice so if you would like to get it, you can get it, if you don’t want to get it you don’t have to get it, it shouldn’t be pressured,” said REV Junior Molly Sullivan. 

REV sophomore Anabelle Alviso, says “I’m also against it. I mean get it if you want but I don’t think it should be forced for us to go to school, because what are all the kids who can’t get the vaccine because of what their parents’ going to do? Just go straight to online, lose all their friends. I don’t think it should be forced to go to school, but I think it would be a good thing, Not to have it forced, but for it to be like you should get it but we’re not going to force it.”  

Joelene Kidlay, REV sophomore, agrees with Kidlay and says, “I’m against it. I don’t think we should have a vaccine mandate. It kind of goes against our constitutional rights because you know we have the freedom of speech and stuff like that, but that’s not really what it is. If you’re forcing your citizens to get the vaccine, that’s…, because now it’s political. Even if the vaccine is science, it’s political now so you can’t force everyone to get it.”