The case for mandates

Regarding Red Jahncke’s op-ed, “Biden mandate ignores COVID-19 science.”

It is wonderful that Pfizer’s antiviral pill is on the way, but it’s “not yet” widely available. Until then, common sense says continue vaccinations. Red, a Republican, wrote that a mandate’s implied purpose is protecting vaccinated people from unvaccinated people.” What?

Let’s be clear, the purpose of getting vaccinated is not about protecting the vaccinated, it is about halting the spread of the global pandemic. Contrary to Red’s presumption, the pandemic is not waning as long as there are numerous active cases and sufficient unvaccinated people to enable mutating variants that might shut down our economy again.

Vaccination mandates, especially among employees in health care, public schools and law enforcement are necessary to jolt irresponsible, healthy, selfish employees from spreading the disease as they go about their jobs, interacting with the public.

I don’t want unvaccinated kindergarten or day care teachers exposing my granddaughters to the pandemic. Nor unvaccinated assisted-living workers exposing my 90-plus year-old frail mother. Nor healthy unvaccinated selfish people becoming petri dishes enabling another variant to extend the pandemic, again.

President Joe Biden’s and corporate mandates are based on common-sense science. To stop the pandemic, healthy persons must do their part for the benefit of all — get vaccinated now.

Religious exemptions and personal freedoms are secondary to doing what’s best for our country. At Valley Forge George Washington mandated troops be vaccinated against yellow fever. His mandate served the greater whole, enabling troops to be healthy and win that battle. Healthy, selfish resisters, heed JFK’s appeal, “ask not what your country can to for you, ask what you can do for your country!”

President Biden’s and corporate mandates backed by solid, seasoned science are necessary to jolt healthy selfish people into being responsible.

John Stoddard Stamford