Kids who should be in school instead rallied outside the State Capitol in Sacramento on Monday, joining their parents at a protest against California's vaccine mandate in schools.
The rally featured almost two hours of speeches and chanting.
It's estimated over 1,000 people attended the event.
"Our whole family's had COVID and we did fine through it," one parent, Amy, told KCBS Radio. "So, I know we have antibody protection. We also don't know how long the vaccine lasts so I don't feel like they should be mandating a vaccine that doesn't cause permanent protection."
Medical experts contend COVID-19 vaccines do a great job at protecting people from severe disease and death. In California's major urban areas, including the Bay Area, health officers are using vaccination rates as a key metric when it comes to making reopening decisions in the community and lifting mask requirements.
"I got the Moderna vaccine, but not right away," said Jessica Briggs, who said she's not anti-vaccine but instead against the mandate for students. "It took me awhile. I had to put my feelers out there, talk to other family members who got it. Some who weren't against it. It took me some time to get comfortable."
When it comes to the mandate for California schools, students, staff and teachers do have some time to get comfortable before it's required.
The COVID-19 vaccine will be added to the list of mandated shots after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration gives full approval for their age group. California's is the first requirement of its kind in the country for students.
California-based groups like "Moms on the Ground" and "Parents of Freedom" backed the rally. At least one organization that promoted the event – called "Our Children, Our Choice!" – originates from Florida, as reported by the San Francisco Chronicle.
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