Scores of Big Island residents took to the streets Saturday in West Hawaii to protest COVID-19 vaccination requirements for youth.
The sign-waving events held in Waimea and Kailua-Kona, with another planned today in Hilo, follow the state Department of Education mandating vaccinations for student-athletes, and Parker School announcing it will require all eligible students and staff on campus be vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, by Oct. 1.
More than 80 people of all ages lined Mamalahoa Highway, fronting Waimea Park, with signs bearing slogans like “Our Keiki, Our Choice” as hundreds of cars passed, some honking and waving to show their support and others expressing their disagreement with the rally. Some of the participants also displayed their opposition to mask requirements and other issues.
Among those taking part in Saturday’s Waimea event was parent Keaira Kroesch, who has three keiki.
“I have done extensive research from the time my first was born on vaccinations, and I am not pro- or anti-vaccination, I’m pro-truth and what I believe and I don’t want my kids to be an experiment,” she said. “That’s why I am here fighting for kids’ rights. It’s about the kids. And it’s freedom of choice — we’re the land of the free, right? So, why don’t we have free thinking and free choice? That’s why I am here.”
The state Department of Education on Wednesday announced that the start of high school athletic seasons will be delayed until Sept. 24 and that all student-athletes, athletic staff and volunteers will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by that date in order to participate in school-sanctioned sports.
The announcement applies only to high school sports, a DOE spokeswoman said.
The move comes as the state continues to grapple with a surge of COVID-19 cases driven by the highly contagious Delta variant.
Currently, Pfizer is the only vaccine that has received FDA emergency use authorization for children 12 and older.