The Supreme Court heard arguments to determine the legality of President Joe Biden’s vaccine and or testing mandate for large businesses. The Justices agreed with Biden’s vaccine mandate for healthcare workers. However, they ruled in favor of businesses and quashed the president’s directive for mandatory testing or vaccinations even though over 846,000 Americans have died of COVID-related complications.
Vaccines have helped protect American citizens from deadly viruses and diseases. There is no more polio, chickenpox, measles, tetanus, and rarely flu cases for those vaccinated.
The polarizing topic of vaccine mandates becomes tumultuous by the day. The Omicron variant is spreading rapidly, with hundreds of thousands of new cases confirmed every day in the United States. Additionally, newly identified COVID variants seem to be announced with increasing frequency. Finally, reports of flurona cases — coronavirus combined with influenza — have spread across social media.
But, in today’s age, the COVID-19 vaccine has split America down the middle. Most people trust mainstream news and scientists, so it was difficult for them to decide to get the shots. However, the other side feels that it is within their rights to refuse vaccination.
Citing the United States Constitution as the reason for their choice works but only on a federal level, except for healthcare workers who are now federally mandated according to the Supreme Court’s ruling on January 13. A state can choose to place specific guidelines and regulations that bar someone from participating in certain activities and events because they are not vaccinated.
The Vaccination Argument
Vaccine mandate policies have received backlash for their lack of respect or acceptance that someone should not have to be vaccinated to shop, go to the gym, or attend a sporting event.
It has become an argument between vaccine skeptics and supporters. The unique quality about America is that the choice is entirely up to the citizen.
Although the government placed roadblocks in the way of the unvaccinated, some states still allow their residents to exercise their freedom.
Recently, states like Illinois announced lockdowns slated to begin following the new year to prevent the further spread of the COVID-19 variant Omicron. This closure of business in the state may not have been as harsh if citizens were urging one another to get vaccinated and cases were not rising rapidly daily.
Freedoms come at a price. Many are asking if the risk is worth the possible cost.
Opinion News by Mikal Eggleston
Edited by Cathy Milne-Ware
Sources:
ABC: Live television
FOX: Live television
CNN: Live Television
Reuters: U.S. Supreme Court conservatives lean against Biden business vaccine policy; by Lawrence Hurley and Andrew Chung
USA Today: Supreme Court blocks Biden COVID mandate requiring vaccine, testing at work. Here’s what we know. By Mike Snider
CBS News: Supreme Court wrestles with Biden’s COVID-19 vaccine requirements as Omicron cases surge; by Melissa Quinn
Images Courtesy of Maryland GovPics’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
