Editorial from JAMS 504: Vaccination Passport Ban Support

Given the troubling and controversial times our world faces today, the Media Milwaukee editorial board would like to offer our opinion on the topic of vaccination mandates and vaccination passport bans. It is our belief that public and private requirements of vaccination passports should be banned, however, we contend that mask wearing is still a high priority and serves a duty to protect vulnerable populations. There are several reasons why we support the passport ban.

A relevant percentage of the population is concerned about putting a vaccine into their body, especially one that has been rushed through a certification process. Requiring vaccination proof as a means of receiving service is discriminatory by nature and does not take religious or personal needs into account. We do not believe that the government can require vaccination when there are many concerns or potential infringements of human rights or privacy.

One narrow exemption to this ban includes a mandate that could be imposed by nursing homes on visiting populations. Due to the exceptionally vulnerable population and inherent nature of the disease, we feel these residencies have a right to protect their population in this way. Hospitals with extremely unwell populations could also request a mandate to protect their residents.

Concerning our public school entity, there is evidence to suggest that we are not the most vulnerable population, and therefore, would not fall under the ban exemption. As with any other public or private business, schools could not enforce vaccination as a requirement of enrollment.

Historically speaking, this comes to par with traditional vaccination exemptions such as polio, meningitis and chickenpox. Every student has a choice and can claim medical exemption for these ‘required’ vaccinations. There has never been an enforcement of the yearly flu vaccine. Just as the Coronavirus is so new, pushing some sort of requirement through as a condition of enrollment would not be feasible for the coming year. Also, there would, as with anything else, have to be an exemption available for those not interested.

Any kind of mandate for travel or flight would likewise infringe a personal choice, and essentially require vaccination. We believe this to be unjust and less congruent to the way the world was before the virus. An individual should not have to partake in vaccination in order to enjoy the same activities that they could have before the virus.

To smooth some health concerns over, we truly believe that mask wearing is an exceptional option for those able to do so. If vaccinated or unvaccinated, feeling remotely sick and going into a public place should be avoided or only done under a mask condition. This way, germ spread is reduced and other people’s health can be kept in mind. Likewise, wearing a mask out of self-protection is what we believe to be socially acceptable.

This coronavirus and vaccination process is uncharted territory. However, we feel these conditions strike a balance between personal rights and medical needs. For the large part, allowing individuals to choose whether they want to be vaccinated and not require vaccination in social activities may help reduce the spread enough to have people feel safer in public.

Source:
https://madison.com/ct/news/local/govt-and-politics/election-matters/wisconsin-assembly-passes-ban-on-vaccine-passports/article_8bfade14-501a-5ad4-8065-87c5f3e44e3a.html