Faceoff: Should vaccines be mandated?

The Messenger debates whether vaccines should be a requirement or a choice for all citizens

Graphic by Manasa Premanand, Features Editor

Yes

Bedansh Pandey, News Editor

As we pass the one-year anniversary of the first COVID-19 case in the state of Georgia, only one word comes to mind to describe the handling of the pandemic: failure. Complete, abysmal failure. In May, when cases climbed exponentially with hardly any avail in sight, we should’ve seen it coming. When misinformed anti-maskers chanted mantras of freedom against COVID-19 guidelines, we should’ve seen it coming. When Georgia leaders openly neglected to create a widespread testing infrastructure, we should’ve seen it coming. If this past year has shown us anything, it’s that the worst in humanity should be considered a palpable reality.

Now, with vaccine distribution underway across the nation, we know that there will be those who deny basic science and we know that there will be leaders who will have a lackadaisical attitude toward ensuring their constituents survive. So the question then remains: Why not do something about it? Why treat a distrust in science as an inevitability? Why make the same mistakes we did when it came to masks, testing, and limiting large gatherings? A vaccine mandate will address these concerns and will ensure that we don’t make the same mistakes of the past year. 

One of the foremost objections towards a national vaccine mandate is that it’s an overreach of federal power and is borderline authoritarian. While this notion does hold some reasoning––mandatory vaccination does color outside the lines of the traditional federalist structure––these are anything but traditional times. And historically, we’ve almost always relied on an increased role of the federal government to navigate through turbulent times. When the Great Depression struck America, President Franklin D. Roosevelt passed the New Deal programs to alleviate economic stress on the nation. In that case, President Roosevelt was called a “benevolent dictator” because of his federal overreach and the fact that his economic stimulus was dynamic for those unprecedented times. In the same way, when something as unprecedented as this happens (to the point where it would even behoove the Founding Fathers) the federal government’s role would have to expand in order to uphold the ideals that govern us in the first place.  

Besides, this contraction in individual freedom is somewhat refreshing; interestingly, it’s long been a recurring theme in American society that increasing individual freedoms widens the scope for what is considered “acceptable” behavior and opens the door to unnecessary detractors. Make voting optional? Less people turn out. Make compliance with journalistic standards optional? Less news sources comply. Make wearing a mask optional? Less people wear masks. So it follows that if vaccines are made optional, less people get vaccinated. This isn’t to say that all freedoms should be stripped away from the people and that America should abandon its political tenets for the sake of saving lives. But giving freedoms on matters of fact and science is nothing short of shooting ourselves in the foot in the name of democracy. 

It would be naive (even foolish) of me to say that a vaccine mandate means that every individual would willfully take the vaccine if the federal government implemented an infraction for those who wouldn’t. But it’s a step in the right direction to ensure that we don’t make the mistakes of the past.

No

Disha Kumar, Staff Writer

Midnight: a time when thousands of Americans scour the internet for vaccination appointment openings. Within a matter of seconds, each slot is filled and hundreds are put on waitlists. But is this high demand for the COVID-19 vaccine, albeit with good intentions, really worth it? 

Vaccines undoubtedly save lives and protect high-risk individuals, but we must ask ourselves whether a national vaccination mandate is actually feasible. There are currently state-wide mask mandates across the country, but people are not adhering to them. Despite innumerable guidelines authored by health agencies, individuals are oblivious to public safety measures such as social distancing and mask-wearing. The problem does not lie with governmental policy, however; without a willing population, no real change can be made. 

A vaccination mandate will not resolve the issues plaguing our society. The very same people perpetuating the spread of the pandemic—and ignoring scientific guidelines—would be the ones to avoid the vaccine in the first place. It wastes time and resources to force a portion of the population, so ignorant to science and public safety, to get vaccinated, only for that group of people to continue partying and meeting in large groups without safety precautions. If anything, this could have adverse effects on the general population. Considering that vaccine efficacy rates can vary anywhere from 70-95%, a number of people who receive the vaccine are not guaranteed full protection. This means that they can still get infected and expose others who have not received their two doses yet. Additionally, individuals can still carry the infection once they have been vaccinated. People who do get vaccinated and act irresponsibly, because they themselves will not get infected, can pass on the disease to others, ultimately causing more harm in the long-run. 

This brings us back to the situation presented a few moments ago. There are so many people willing to get the vaccine that there is virtually no need to enforce a national or statewide mandate. Rather than vaccinating people who do not believe in science and the pandemic, we should be increasing the availability of vaccines for those who actually want them. Eventually, enough people will be vaccinated to achieve herd immunity, even without the small percentage of anti-vaxxers. 

Misinformation in the media has sown seeds of uncertainty among the anti-vaxxer population, and a mandate will not dispel their belief that Bill Gates is attempting to microchip them. While this is a blatant attempt from right-wing extremists to cast doubt upon science and rational thinking, it has unfortunately dissuaded many from actually wanting to get vaccinated. Coercing these people to take a vaccine they believe is not safe is unethical since it infringes on their fundamental right to privacy. 

As our world slowly approaches a new normal, people will be forced to confront a universal vaccination policy at some point in the future. For now, during a time in which there is so much uncertainty among the general population, a vaccine mandate will only add to our society’s problems. Before mandating the COVID-19 vaccine, we must first instill confidence in the community to trust science and public health officials.