Reasons Why the Covid-19 Vaccine Should Not Be Mandatory

Name of Student

Schiller International University

IR 370 - Writing For Foreign Affairs

Dr. W. Scott Wilson

December 15th, 2021

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Reasons Why the Covid-19 Vaccine Should Not Be Mandatory

These last two years have been marked by a catastrophic pandemic that has threatened

the well-being of people and the economies of countries worldwide. It has been a period

where our basic freedoms were partially restricted and where we had to change our lifestyles,

reduce the number of times we go out, and forget about plans that required travelling too far

or events where a lot of people would be at. But, all of the sudden, in 2020, the next day after

the US Presidential elections, the Covid-19 vaccine was presented as the solution to return to

our normal lives. By December 2021, vaccine mandates have been implemented in many

countries worldwide, including authoritarian governments, Europe and the United States.

This essay will explain the reasons why the vaccine should not be mandatory and will attempt

to inform the reader about the importance of making such important decisions.

This topic is important to explore because people that are not getting vaccinated are

slowly being marginalized from society, or at least for now, from social life. It is required to

travel, and in many countries, to work and to enjoy the entertainment industry in all its forms.

This research understands the alarm of public health that Covid-19 has supposed and

continues to suppose. The main idea is that Covid-19 vaccine should not be mandatory unless

the individual presents health risks, falls under a certain age range, works in certain sectors

such as health due to the high risk, or decides to do so under his or her personal choice.

Rule 1: Inform, Not Convert

With this said, I will start outlining at a general glance the reasons I find to be correct

about the issue. I could probably select over forty reasons, but since I want to go into detail in

the following section, I will keep it short. This research will also cover the main reasons of

why the vaccine should be required in order to argue against them.

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The first and most important reason is because the vaccine effects are unknown in the

long-term. In addition, many experts assure that it overrides personal freedoms even though it

may be necessary to secure public health (Rasheed, 2021). People that already suffered

Covid-19 and know the effects are low on them should not be required to be vaccinated either

if they believe that choice is the best for them.

There are other measures that can be used in order to prove that individuals do not

have Covid-19 prior to entering places or travelling, but the prices should come down

substantially so it is widely available and accessible to the general population on a regular

basis. With regards to government officials, they will notice that it is easier to get broader

acceptance of a policy or to achieve trust from the population without universal mandates.

The key is delivering availability and not orders. There are also legal barriers. In the history

of the United States, for instance, there has never been a federal mandate requiring adults to

get vaccinated. It has been limited to children when entering into schools and day-care

facilities (Rubinstein & Yang, 2020), and has been left to State legislation according to each

situation.

Rule 2: Attention to Detail

The fact that in some countries they are offering incentives for people to be vaccinated

is almost like preaching that basic human rights can be bought, and that governments have

enough resources to do that at certain points. The wider the acceptability, the more beneficial

for governments when implementing a vaccine mandate. But is this allowing the population

to have a personal opinion and to critically think what the best option for themselves are?

Many have been told that their level of health under the pandemic is linked to the

accessibility and use of the Covid-19 vaccine. As the United Nations (2021 Dec) states,
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“mandates around vaccination are an absolute last resort and only applicable when all other

feasible options to improve vaccination uptake have been exhausted”.

Little is known about the effects that could be caused in a person that has been taking

the shot, and all of the sudden stops doing so. Having the vaccine once could imply needing

to repeat the doses in order to benefit from the immunization created from the vaccine. This

causes a dependency on a medical good for people that do not need to rely on such solutions

to stay healthy. People should be free to choose on what medical goods and services they

want to depend on, especially if it is something that could condition their health in the long-

term.

There are many more details to take into account. Some people think that future

generations could suffer the long-term effects of the vaccine; others believe that it could lead

to developing other illnesses in the long-term that could be very difficult to link to the

vaccine implementation since most of the population would have had the shot at least once;

and the ones who think that freedom of choice on the vaccine should exist such as the

possibility of having many political parties in the same country. There is also a link to a

government’s counter productivity and the freedom that they allow citizens. Lastly, many are

worried about people reacting differently to the vaccine as everyone’s anatomy is different

(St Benedicts School, 2021).

Rule 3: Preaching to the Converted

There are many citizens, experts, governments, international organizations, and think-

tanks that see value in the approach of defending human rights and avoiding a medical

apartheid through the Covid-19 vaccine mandate. The reasons for us believing this way could

be many: some already know what the effects of the virus are on them, others do not trust the
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long-term effects it could have, and there are many others that believe it was all a conspiracy

linked to the US 2020 Presidential Elections.

No casualty happens when Biden gets elected and the next day three vaccines are

released at the same time. In fact, Pfizer withheld positive news about the vaccine until after

the elections. No casualty either when Pfizer has funded the Democratic Campaigns

throughout 2021. These payments include $256,520 to Joe Biden for President, $152,120 to

the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC), $106,859 to the Democratic

National Committee Services Corp. (DNC), and $99,811 to the Democratic Congressional

Campaign Committee (DCCC). The intention was to release the information once Biden

secured its vote (Caldera, n.d.).

Rule 4: Never Forget the Uncommitted

This research is not done to postulate that the vaccine is ineffective or to push people

that actually need it to not getting it. Rather, it is done in order to inform individuals that

there are other choices and to call government officials, businesses, and other responsible

legislators to respect those that do not want to get the vaccine. This research understands that

vaccines are needed, not only in Covid-19, but in other areas as well to protect the population

in the long-term. It is true that the vaccine is probably preventing certain damages to the

people and the system that would not be possible otherwise, and that vaccines for other

severe diseases are needed, but I believe that under the circumstances and reasons mentioned

earlier, vaccine requirements must be re-considered. The political situation that developed

after the beginning of the pandemic and the loss of the almost inexistent trust that has existed

towards China should be analyzed.

Rule 5: Multiple Audience Problem

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All perspectives for multiple audiences should be considered. Firstly, this research

focuses on the case in developed countries where other serious diseases are not a risk for the

general population. In countries or communities where other diseases are high, the chances of

Covid-19 being mortal are higher and therefore they should also be considered for

vaccination as healthcare workers, the elderly, or people that prevent previous pathologies

such as cancer, pneumonia, or diabetes.

Secondly, it is important to note that people’s jobs or life stability should not be

threatened in the case of the individual not wanting to get the vaccine. Thirdly, to the

scientific community, this research is not intended to disprove or challenge the findings

regarding the Covid-19 vaccine. This is merely done to open people’s perspectives on

freedom of choice and their capabilities of making decisions.

To the people that have lost family members and/or friends due to Covid-19, this

research is not intended to reflect a lack of respect towards your lost ones, but to defend the

possibility of people not receiving orders from the government or their boss regarding their

own health.

To the healthcare workers, I believe the job has been incredible. Without them, this

would have been even more catastrophic, and it is important for all audiences to understand

that if there is a medical condition that requires an individual to be vaccinated, then it is the

best option.

To policy-makers who work to make people’s lives easier and to help them be

plentiful and happy, I call them to reconsider the idea of forcing and coercing. There are

several articles in the Constitution as well as basic Human Rights that are being overridden

with the attempt to implement a universal mandate in countries.

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To the general audience, I hope this view helps them look at the issue with a different

perspective. There is usually two general views: the one where public favors allocating

COVID-19 vaccines solely via government programs; and the polarized view in some

countries on mandatory vaccinations (Duch et al, 2021). People should be free to decide what

side they want to be on.

To the ones that reject the vaccine and believe in their freedom of personal choice, I

want to say and believe that there is still a way out of this mandate.

Rule 6: Repeat and Go Around the Block Many Times

So why is it actually important to defend freedom of choice with regards to the Covid-

19 vaccine? The answer is simple: it overrides articles of several countries constitutions, as

well as the warnings and insights of experts and international actors such as the World Health

Organization. It is also important to understand that measures marginalizing people that are

not vaccinated need to be reframed, opening possibilities of people developing their lives

without the need of having a vaccine shot. The complements of vaccine and proof of not

having Covid-19 makes travelling, social life, and the entertainment industry a sad joke

mounted on bureaucracy. We must defend our freedoms. Most importantly, our freedom of

choice which is what most of the other freedoms are based on.

Rule 7: Narrow the Area You Have to Defend

Covid-19 vaccination mandates are not ethical nor constitutional. There is actually a

strong link between authoritarian systems and the introduction of such law. The main concern

in countries is that infected population is a health care expense that is ultimately either

covered by insurances, individuals, or the government itself (Taylor, 2021). It is a loss of

budget that could be invested in other areas, but there are methods to solve this. This could be

a central idea for a different research paper, but the idea would be to make people sign that
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they will cover the expenses if they ever get so ill from Covid-19 that they need medical

treatment. This way, the person is keeping their freedom of choice, and the government keeps

the revenues that are not spent in healthcare from people that are not vaccinated having to get

treatment.

Rule 8: Be Careful in the Use of Examples

The following examples reflect the medical apartheid that some countries are

suffering from the Covid-19 vaccine mandate. President Biden in September announced a

vaccine mandate for most federal government employees and demanded that large companies

require their workers to get fully jabbed or submit to weekly testing. New Zealand is forcing

private sector workers to get vaccinated if they do not want to lose their jobs as well. Italy

stipulates that all workers must show proof of vaccination, immunity or a negative test in the

past 48 hours to go to work. Those without the so-called “green pass” could be suspended

and may have their pay stopped after five days. It is also required to enter museums, gyms

and restaurants and to travel by train, bus and plane (Rasheed, 2021).

There are also responses from governments that try to avoid the way governments are

overridden individual freedoms. In Fiji, which in July had one of the world’s highest rates of

coronavirus infections per capita, workers petitioned the nation’s top court to throw out its

vaccine mandate, while in Texas, Governor Greg Abbott issued an executive order banning

“any entity” in the US state from enforcing a vaccine mandate. Citizens in New York

compare the situation as if the population were lab rats and advocate for eliminating the

Green Pass, or as it’s known in Europe, the Covid-19 Passport. The World Health

Organization has claimed that no force or coercion should be used when making the vaccine

accessible to the population (Rasheed, 2021).

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With regards to the responses from the population internationally, in India for

instance, social media has recorded only 35% of information about vaccine mandates being in

a positive tone (Praveen, Ittamalla & Deepak, 2021). There are countries such as Germany

where the acceptability of a vaccine and/or a vaccine mandate is very fractioned, depending

on the disclosure of secondary effects both in the short and long term (Graeber, Schmidt-Petri

& Schröder, 2021). In Australia, participants of the study conducted by Attwell et al (2021)

demonstrated tensions and confusion about whether instruments for Covid-19 vaccinations

were incentives or punishments. Despite this, only one fourth of Australians favor freedom of

choice when it comes to the vaccine (Attwooll, 2021).

Rule 9: Avoid Engaging in Motives

There are several human rights that are overridden when implementing a mandate for

Covid-19 vaccines. The list shows as follows: the right to life, the right to not be degraded,

the right to be free from slavery or forced labor, the right to liberty, the right to a fair trial, the

right to not get punished for doing something that is not illegal, the right to having one’s

private life respected, the right to freedom of thought and expression, the right to assembly

and association, the right to not be discriminated upon individual characteristics, the right to

peaceful enjoyment of possessions, the right to education, and the right to free elections (The

British Institute of Human Rights, 2021).

Rule 10: Stimulate the Iceberg and Know the Topic

It is true that some people that have high risk due to personal traits have to give up

their health autonomy and capacity of decision-making in order to comply with the job.

However, one must bear in mind that Covid-19 is fatal only for people who have previous

pathologies or fall into the risk groups. Even in those situations, the right to choose whether

you want a recently released vaccine which long-term effects are unknown and will continue

to be unknown for at least a few years, should still be available.

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If we as a society really want to return to normality, the best way to do so is to find a

way to adapt Covid-19 as we did with the flu and other infectious diseases. Restricting

people’s rights to work, socialize, and travel are not the correct and ethical solution that

government should be providing us.

Rule 11: Know Your Opposition

I know for a fact that most of pro-vaccines will say that it is a motive of public health

safety and stand on moral and ethical arguments such as people not having the freedom to

spread the virus to other people when they are not vaccinated. I need to say under this, that

people that are vaccinated will still be protected in the same way from people despite them

being vaccinated or not. As mentioned throughout the research, it is important to inform

correctly about the entire information and not only about tiny pieces that conduct individuals

to choosing without thinking of alternatives.

Medical exceptions on vaccines have always existed, and even though the negative

side at least in the US is that it clusters geographically, targeting certain population groups

(Gostin, Salmon & Larson, 2020), the exemptions could be revised under the Covid-19

vaccine depending on the person’s health and immune typology.

Rule 12: Be on the Side of the Good and True and the Right in This Debate

There will always be two sides on the issue. There will be the people that believe this

tyranny is needed to comply with public health and safety, and others, in which the World

Health Organization is included, stipulate that this should not be done to the general

population due to the fact that they are not allowing people to exercise their freedoms

completely (Oxford University Press, 2021).

In this case, there is no right or wrong position. The option to either accept or reject

the vaccine should be available to everyone, and everyone should be able to choose what they
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want to do with themselves and their health.

Conclusion

The government should work to inform people that the vaccines are ready for them

and totally accessible, but citizens should not be forced. The words “compulsory” and

“highly recommended” are divided by a fine line that should not be trespassed in

democracies. There is a simple reason to understand this pandemic as different as any past

disease that has caused struggles for large clusters of population in the earlier centuries. The

debate on whether Covid-19 was really an accident, or done on purpose to destabilize

Western countries is still on the table. Many countries are still conducting investigations after

international organizations have been inconclusive about the beginning or creation of the

virus. One has to remember the danger it could suppose if for a minute, Covid-19 is an

attempt to biologically attack countries for China to gain power.

People should have the vaccine available, but should not be forced, coerced, or

punished for not accepting it. Individuals must feel that governments are protecting them and

not obliging them. Universal Human Rights and Constitutional articles are beyond the

provisional state of the public health crisis happening currently. There are many alternatives

to avoid this medical apartheid and to save people from being marginalized based on a strong

personal decision.
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References

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https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vaccine.2021.11.056

Attwooll, J. (2021). Almost a quarter of adults say ‘freedom of choice’ a valid reason not to

be vaccinated: Survey. News GP. https://www1.racgp.org.au/newsgp/clinical/almost-a-

quarter-of-adults-cite-freedom-of-choice

Caldera, C. (2021). Fact check: Pfizer received COVID-19 vaccine data after Election Day,

released within days. USA Today News.

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