By Viviana Garcia & Andrea Gonzalez
Cypress Chronicle Staff Writers
North Orange County Community College District mandates COVID-19 vaccines for on-campus
students and faculty during the Fall 2021 Semester.
The NOCCCD Board of Trustees voted 6-1 in favor of a vaccine mandate during the Aug. 24,
2021 meeting that will require students and faculty to be fully vaccinated by Nov. 1, 2021,
to attend in-person campus.
The Nov. 1 deadline refers to the date of “full vaccination,” which is defined as two weeks
after receiving the full course of vaccines. To meet this deadline, the final dose must be received
no later than Oct. 17 according to the board meeting agenda.
The vote on the vaccine mandate was made after 74 entered public comments were read,
which voiced the opinions of those throughout the community for about two hours.
Supporters of the mandate expressed ideas about the safety of students in the classroom and
uniting together to end this pandemic. Those in opposition discussed concerns regarding the
unknown long-term effects of the vaccines and the right to choose the drug.
Students at Cypress College also had similar responses to those presented at the meeting about
the vaccine mandate implementation.
“Well now that they’ve confirmed Pfizer is approved by the FDA, I think it’s a good idea especially because the disease can spread
easily among younger level students like elementary for example are not good with maintaining
germs off each other,” said Jessica Sanchez, a Biology major at Cypress College.
Cypress College Student Candice Gonzalez seems to be split down the middle understanding the
vaccination will help stop the spread of the virus yet wants students to have a choice rather than
it be required.
“If it’s on campus, then Ok but, If classes are still online then, no, I don’t agree that it should be
mandatory” Gonzalez said.
An accommodation process for employees and students who cannot receive the vaccine due to
disabilities/medical conditions or religious beliefs and those with exemptions will participate in
regular testing.
On July 26, 2021, the State of California announced it will require all state workers, workers in
health care, and K-12 employees to show proof of full vaccination or be subject to strict
COVID-19 mitigation protocols including weekly testing according to the Board Meeting
Agenda.
California Community College System around twenty-eight districts who will mandate or are in
the process of requiring vaccinations much like The University of California and California State
University systems who have yet to make vaccination official according to ED.Source.Org.
