Covid: For Vaccination, Against Mandates

After a year and a half of the modern worldwide plague known as Covid and its accompanying variants, deaths are still rampant as are serious illnesses, overflowing intensive care units and widespread debates and arguments regarding vaccination, its benefits and danger. There is, unfortunately, more heat than light in most of these debates and I have found that it is virtually impossible to hold an intelligent, rational conversation with people who have strong feelings about this topic, yet are otherwise perfectly normal, intelligent and rational. Various politicians and elected officials in the United States have waded into deep water and offer little. Television anchors offer little expertise as well but they have a platform which enables them to be heard by millions of people. There’s an old saying that whoever screams loudest wins. Well, that’s not good enough when approximately 675,000 Americans have died of this plague and millions more have died worldwide.

Sensible people should be vaccinated. Various news media have reported that over 99% of Covid hospitalized patients are unvaccinated. This should be enough for a reasonable person to understand the odds of getting seriously ill, or alternatively not be affected by this evil virus. We live in a free society where patient autonomy, in this case, personal autonomy is highly valued. Covid vaccination is not and should not be considered to be a political issue. Yet it has become one. This has been broadened to include mask mandates and mandates not to wear masks as well by various state governors. So what shall we do?

Living in a free society places the burden on the individual for his or her actions. Sensible people, of whatever persuasion they may be, can get vaccinated or alternatively refuse vaccination. The choice is theirs. This blog has continuously advocated for vaccination and I reiterate that position at this point. On the other hand, this blog advocates for freedom. There can be no vaccination mandates. Freedom is more precious and valuable and personal autonomy cannot be compromised. On the other hand, as expressed in a previous blog (See my blog post of Aug 2, 2021 “Stop Socializing the Covid Risk for Vaccine Refusers”), there is no valid reason for society to pay the bill for personal choices. People who refuse vaccinations for whatever reason should bear the consequence of that decision, however wise or stupid it may be. Insurance coverage, or risk socialization, should exclude Covid illnesses due to vaccination refusals. Society need not pay the bill for foolish self destructive acts. To those who believe that public health issues require an overriding of personal liberties we can only say that sin is in the eye of the beholder. Certain societies promote female circumcision, for example. Would they support a mandate for such an act? Keep in mind that large segments of the world’s population think that that is a wonderful thing. So let’s not impose our personal beliefs or idiosyncrasies on others. However, those with bizarre ideas must be held responsible for their acts of commission or omission.

Finally, let its remember the words of Irish politician and lawyer John Philpot Curran: “The condition upon which God hath given liberty to man is eternal vigilance”. (Dublin, July 10, 1790) True then and just as true today.

Garry S. Sklar

September 27, 2021

Las Vegas, NV