Brawley parents speak out against vaccine mandate

Students across California are walking-out of school in solidarity against a California vaccine mandate - 13 On Your Side’s Vince Ybarra reports 

BRAWLEY, Calif. (KECY, KYMA) - Parents in Brawley are upset. They are advising their children to walk out of school to protest a vaccine mandate.

Brawley resident, Brett Leavitt, said the walk-out is to let school and state officials that they are not happy with mandates.

“We are not okay with these mandates coming down from Governor Newsom, mandating our children be vaccinated,” said Leavitt

Leavitt said the health of children should be in the hands of parents, not a government ruling.

Brawley parent, Ryan Rebollar, agrees, the state mandating a child is out of line.

“There is no political affiliation with this. This is parents as a whole. And we’re hoping we can get the message across to Governor Newsom when he’s sees the empty desks,” said Rebollar.

Rebollar said he’s concerned about the long-term effects a COVID-19 vaccine will have on his small children. He said he’s not ready to take that risk.

Leavitt said that the parents who are speaking out are not anti-mask or anti-vaccine, they are anti-mandate.

She said other parents across Imperial County plan to show up to the board of supervisors meeting Tuesday to share how they feel about a vaccine mandate.