On this Health Matters, we sit down to talk about something that’s not such a big deal for the rational person yet a politically hot topic: Vaccine Mandates. PA Lynn Szabo sits with Paul & Mike to talk about what they actually mean, how they’re being done here, and to just… get vaccinated. If you want to do all the things you want to do, you gotta get vaccinated.
What’s a vaccine mandate? Although it’s a requirement that says you must be vaccinated to do certain things, an individual cannot be forced to receive a vaccine. (Think of it as “Vaccination Mandatory to attain entry.”) Of course, this means there are still consequences as you can be prevented from doing something you may want to do, which is well within the rights of those putting up restrictions. Vaccine mandates have been a common part of our lives long, long before COVID-19, such as school vaccination requirements or travel vaccination requirements.
The Federal Mandate for COVID-19 Vaccinations… The current federal mandate declares that all employers with more than 100 employees must be either COVID Vaccinated or the employee must get weekly COVID-19 testing. This is enforced on the federal level by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
States and cities can require vaccine mandates, which is legally supported by a rather strong Supreme Court decision in 1905—a 7-2 decision based on the idea that an individual’s right to liberty cannot deprive others of their right to liberty. What this boils down to is everyone has some restraints that exist for the common good.
Exemptions exist to maintain compliance with the ADA. Religious exemptions follow complicated rules, including:
- Beliefs must be sincere
- People must be informed that they have this option
- Religious exemptions are judged on an individual basis
- Health exemptions need verification from a health care provider and cannot legally include details.
What’s a law abiding Del Norter to do?
- Get vaccinated -or- submit to weekly testing.
- Have your documentation in order if you believe you qualify for an exemption.
- Remember that yelling, drama, and anger isn’t a solution.
Health Matters is live every Tuesday at 11am on KFUG Community Radio 101.1 FM and streaming online at kfugradio.org!
