COVID-19 Vaccines Shouldn’t Be Mandatory

I’m not an anti-vaxxer and I understand that health experts and scientists want to end COVID-19. But I also believe it’s too early to determine if vaccines are successful or safe so I don’t think they should be mandatory.

On June 3, the White House announced President Joe Biden’s goal to have 70% of American adults take at least one dose of the vaccine by July 4.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stated that those who are fully vaccinated can go out in public without a mask or without physically distancing themselves unless it’s required by their state or local laws or private businesses. 

According to the updated guidance from the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, state employers are allowed to mandate the COVID-19 vaccine among their workforce and provide incentives for workers—such as cash—to become vaccinated.

Some universities are mandating that students get vaccinated to attend on-campus classes in the fall, while others are strongly encouraging students to get vaccinated but not mandating it.

It also seems that the U.S. may not reach Biden’s goal by July 4 because vaccination rates have started to slow down.

You can’t blame those who choose not to get vaccinated, because it feels as though we’re rushing into this way too fast.

An incident that increased the mistrust of the vaccines was when the U.S. government had to pause the distribution of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine due to a potential link to blood clotting on April 13.

Normally, scientists perform a five-year study to evaluate the impact of vaccines before distributing them to the public, but during a worldwide pandemic, we don’t have that time. 

So for a few years, we won’t know what the long-term consequences are. We won’t know if the vaccine can cause young adults to lose their eyesight or if it can cause women to become infertile.

Like other viruses, COVID-19 is here to stay, so it’s our job to protect ourselves. With or without being vaccinated.

While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that only a small percentage of people who are fully vaccinated will get the virus, it’s important to recognize that vaccines aren’t sufficient for addressing COVID-19. 

No vaccine is 100% effective and they always contain risks. So if you want to take that leap of faith and trust whatever your doctor prescribes you, feel free. You have full control of what goes into your body. 

For that same reason, I won’t be getting the vaccine just yet and I don’t want to be forced to do it. 

In the meantime, I’m going to keep being cautious and so should you. 

So if you’re planning to get vaccinated, please keep wearing your mask, physical distancing and having basic hygiene.