COVID-19 vaccinations continue to divide Americans, most recently between the vaccinated and unvaccinated.
Proof of COVID-19 Vaccination
Across the country, companies and public venues are beginning to require proof of vaccination, but should they? What about liberty and freedom, the cornerstones on which our country was built? The vaccine debate over mandates has shed light on a debate between personal autonomy and public health – but this debate is nothing new.
Public polling has shown that support for mandatory vaccination depends on the situation. Around three-quarters of participants to an Ipsos/World Economic Forum survey favored requiring vaccine passports for travel. For situations other than travel, approval for enforcing verification of vaccination dropped off drastically, with about two-thirds in favor of requiring vaccines for those attending public events, but only half were in favor of requiring proof of vaccination for dining out, shopping and working in offices.
Current Data and the Changing Landscape of COVID-19
The highly transmissible COVID-19 delta variant has prompted vaccine mandates worldwide, spurred by fears of further mutations in unvaccinated populations. A growing number of cities and businesses around the U.S. are making the COVID vaccine a requirement meaning that proof of immunization is required to work in hospitals, attend concerts and other public events, teach school, and even eat at restaurants or frequent bars.
On August 2, Denver Mayor Michael Hancock announced a vaccine mandate for city staffers and many private employees working in high-risk occupations, including hospital workers, police officers and firefighters.
The University of Colorado announced that it requires all students, faculty and staff at its four campuses to have COVID vaccinations for the fall semester. Additionally, Children’s Hospital Colorado has joined hospitals across the state in requiring vaccinations by October 1, 2021.
And now you’ll need to show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test result within 72 hours to access Lulu’s Downstairs, a popular music venue in Manitou Springs.
Problems and Alternatives
Lost in the debate over public policy are vulnerable populations who may be unable to get vaccinated for medical reasons. What about those of us who cannot tolerate the vaccine due to allergies, are immunocompromised, or have been advised by their doctor to wait on the vaccine?
With COVID vaccine passports being touted by governments, major airlines and globalist think tanks as the best way to re-open travel and business activities, these travel documents threaten the fundamental rights of citizens who opt-out, for any reason, whether medical or otherwise.
COVID vaccine passport advocates disregard the right of the individual to choose what they put in their body, and believe that people who refuse to participate should be denied certain liberties at their own discretion.
Instead of a mandate for citizens, Colorado is among the states that have tried lotteries, scholarships and other incentives to boost vaccination rates, with marginal success. Now the U.S. is paying social media influencers up to $1,000 a month to use their audience to reach the most vaccine-hesitant.
The Individual and Choice
As economist Frederick J Zimmerman argues, “The ethical principle of autonomy is among the most fundamental in ethics, and it is particularly salient for those in public health, who constantly balance the desire to improve health outcomes by changing behavior with respect for individual freedom.”
But under the threat of losing, one’s job, being blocked from travel, attending a concert, or even supporting restaurants, the COVID-19 vaccine is undoubtably being forced on citizens.
How is Requiring the COVID-19 Vaccination Different?
The difference between the COVID-19 inoculation and other vaccines is that the latter aren’t required by most private businesses; one could argue that employers should or could require a vaccine for measles, or polio, as could concerts, restaurants, and so forth. But while private citizens can decline those other vaccines for their children or themselves, they couldn’t do so for the COVID vaccine if it were required for every aspect of daily life. Perhaps in that sense, a federal mandate would be better, since then compromised individuals could privately opt out without being required on a case-by-case basis.
Ultimately, we should all have the right to decide for ourselves. That is what makes our country the land of the free.
