What are vaccine mandates?
Vaccine mandates are compulsory vaccinations, issued by the government for the purpose of reducing the risk of disease. During the duration of COVID-19, a lot of damage had been caused. In the United States, where vaccines were mostly accessible to everyone, vaccines have acted as a lifesaver for all. To lessen the spread of COVID as quickly as possible, employers, state governments, and federal departments have started issuing vaccine mandates. With vaccine mandates, penalties will be imposed on those who choose not to get immunized -- perhaps denied school entry or restriction from going to work.
Why is it necessary?
When vaccination isn’t required, fewer people are opting in for them. Vaccination rates in the US have remained lower than desired. In some states, like Indiana, only half of the people who are 18 or older are vaccinated. Now, nearly all COVID-19 deaths are among the unvaccinated. Community immunity is important, and therefore, 500 colleges and universities have already incorporated vaccine mandates. There isn’t much of a negative effect from vaccine mandates -- people are just more quick to get the immunization they need.
The Past
When the US was first fighting smallpox, it required enough people to get vaccinated. The same happened with polio, measles, mumps, diphtheria, and more. Immunization has become the norm in American school systems. Meanwhile, HPV vaccination and influenza vaccination has never been mandated, so the spread has never been controlled over their respective demographic groups. Health experts note that these two diseases have never had the vaccination rates they would prefer.
Misconception
Mandates don’t mean that people will be held down and given shots against their will. The mandate is more like a fine or restriction of privileges such as travelling, as seen by cruise ship companies or the Affordable Care Act. Exemptions always exist within vaccine mandates, as we see in schools. Those with religious or medical reasons are allowed to opt-out of immunization, but they will just be banned from certain locations or activities. The same would be true for COVID-19 national vaccine mandates.
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