Community reacts to President Biden’s vaccine mandate

Published: Sep. 10, 2021 at 6:34 PM CDT
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HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WAFF) -

Overreaching or a matter of public safety? There are many opinons after President Joe Biden announced new COVID-19 vaccine mandates.

Biden’s new mandates require companies with more than 100 employees to require vaccinations or regular testing. Federal employees and contractors will have to get vaccinated... with no option to “test out.” Many people in north alabama either work for large companies or jobs with ties to defense contracts

Some people say the vaccines are a matter of safety.

Chase Rodgers is the manager at Jack Brown’s Beer & Burger Joint. He says, “I would feel more secure at work. It feels like I’m rolling the dice every time I go in because there’s no paid leave for us. So, it means a lot that more people are going to be vaccinated.” One man in the defense industry agrees. Jermaine Davis says “It does make me feel safer because I know COVID is a real thing. I’ve had a lot of people in my life be affected by it.”

However, not everyone is on board with mandatory vaccination. Davis says, “heres the thing, I dont think it’s something that should be forced. I think its something that’s a choice. With that, I think people need to get information to make the choice that’s right for them.” Chance Mitchell agrees with him. He says, “whether you agree with the mandate or not, I don’t think the government should have a right to mandate what goes into your body.”

Rodgers disagrees. Here’s what he has to say: “I mean whatever knocks this stuff out. Y’all didn’t want to get it, y’all didnt want to wear masks and now its back to being bad and now we have to get vaccinated. That’s just what needs to happen for us to get back to normal functioning society.” UAH student, Matt Speakman, concisely said, “If it can save one or two lives from the vaccine mandate i think its a positive thing in the long run.”

The majority of federal workers have 75 days to get the vaccine.

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