Can we agree? Mandates are a dirty word.
Fear and caution mark reactions to vaccine mandates, as refuseniks dig in their heels. Also: What happens when the U.S. stays in Afghanistan beyond August 31?
The FDA finally gave full approval to the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, after 202 million doses have been administered in the U.S. alone, far ahead of Moderna and J&J/Janssen. After June, the rate of American vaccinations flattened and has not recovered. A piece of paper issued by the government, it appears, is not going to motivate many employers to mandate vaccines.
A mix of fear and caution is driving our reaction. David Thornton offered kudos to former President Donald Trump for enduring the boos of his own rally crowd in Alabama when he publicly advocated getting vaccinated, and said “it’s good.”
It’s unlikely that even Trump’s advocacy of the vaccines he touted so boldly in Operation Warp Speed will spur many people who are reticent to take the shots, to now go out and get one.
Even the death of Nashville-based radio talk show host Phil Valentine, who contracted COVID-19 after expressing skepticism over the vaccines, then reversed, telling his brother if he got back on the radio, he’d urge his listeners to get vaccinated, hasn’t provoked a wave of people rushing to get their shots.
There’s such a degree of head-in-the-sand, it’s-not-going-to-be-me self delusion about COVID-19 that people who should get vaccinated, if only to protect themselves from dying if they do get a breakthrough case, are choosing to take their chances, and some of them are dying.
The effect this has on employers is many blue-collar companies refuse to mandate the vaccines. They need employees to physically show up for work, and many, if the company decided to force vaccination, would simply quit.
According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, “Front-line workers at plants are divided over a vaccine requirement, despite some worrying if enough is being done to protect their health.” Some manufacturers are offering cash or other incentives (these have varying, but not enormous, levels of success) for workers getting the vaccine.
Big companies like Tyson Foods are requiring nearly all workers to be vaccinated by November 1. Many workers fear getting COVID-19, and don’t want to work in an unprotected environment, while many others fear getting the vaccine. Still others are hard-core refuseniks who also reject mask wearing and social distancing. It creates a stressful work environment.
Among educators, two University of North Georgia lecturers have resigned over vaccine mandates, because Georgia’s university system has not mandated vaccines for students or staff. They simply refuse to teach. Contrast that with Emory University, a private school, which is mandating vaccines for student and faculty.
Human Resource professionals are struggling with an increasingly divided workforce. Per the Society for Human Resource Management’s latest employment law missive:
In addition to legally protected reasons [such as medical and religious objections], employees may have general objections to receiving a COVID-19 vaccination that do not require a reasonable accommodation. "Employers considering mandating vaccines should give very serious consideration to this issue," said Brett Coburn, an attorney with Alston & Bird in Atlanta. If a significant portion of the workforce refuses to comply, the employer may be put in the very difficult position of either adhering to the mandate and terminating all of these employees, or deviating from the mandate for certain employees, which Coburn said can increase the risk of discrimination claims.
Employers with just a few hundred employees can’t afford to terminate half the workforce, but also can’t afford to have half the workforce stay out of work because of fear of COVID-19, or—worse—contract COVID-19 and be out for quarantine, or even, sadly, die.
The problem is not going to go away quickly, because Americans were led to believe that COVID-19 was conquerable by vaccines. We were led to believe that the medical establishment isn’t doing everything it can to fight COVID-19, and even covering up some “cures.” At the same time, we were led to believe that anti-vaxxers and vaccine refuseniks are completely to blame for our current surge.
In case you’re keeping track, none of these things is true. The surge would come even if we achieved President Biden’s national 70 percent vaccination goal. The Delta variant is just too easily spread and the vaccines are not completely effective against it spreading. However, the vaccines (and I’ll say this a million times if I have to) will keep people from dying from COVID-19.
When Americans talk about mandates, we first have to fight through the untruths on both sides of the issue.
The best way to deal with this divide is to respect everyone and know that every pair of eyes you look into is the face of a person passionately loved by God. If someone is reticent about getting the vaccines, love them and respect them. If someone is fully convinced the vaccines are the Mark of the Beast, love them. If someone blames the unvaccinated for the current surge, love them.
We need reasons to agree—that COVID-19 is not something anyone wants to catch, that people who do contract is deserve dignity, care, and love. We need to try to understand and care for each other with compassion, empathy, respect, and love. If we can manage that, and not hold out for our own preferred outcome, then I think America will get through this.
What happens in Afghanistan on September 1?
The Taliban has rejected extending an August 31 deadline for getting U.S. citizens and allies out of Afghanistan, all while pretending it’s not going to take vengeance over those who remain behind. The New York Times reported:
American officials are increasingly worried that even with the vast number of Afghans, Americans and people of other nationalities evacuated in recent days — a total of about 10,400 people in the 24 hours from Sunday to Monday alone, according to the White House — many still remain to be rescued. In recent days, that operation has increasingly focused on the Americans still left, over the Afghans who worked with the United States.
As hard as we try, and as many Marines and soldiers we deploy back to Afghanistan, to facilitate the withdrawal of the 2,500 troops who remained, without a single death in the past year, we will likely not get everyone out before the deadline.
Then what? Do we stay, and repel attacks from the Taliban, without our logistical structure (which we abandoned), air power from Bagram air base (which we abandoned), or the assistance of the Afghan National Security Forces (who we abandoned)? Or do we tuck tail and leave our allies to handle their own extractions, and leave our friends and Afghan contractors, translators, intelligence assets, and others to perish or be tortured at the hands of the Taliban?
It’s a devil’s choice, and one President Biden, acting alone, created. I’m not saying Biden is completely responsible for the entire situation, but I am saying he ignored his generals and intelligence advisors, and damned the consequences.
If we stay, we will take casualties. If we go, others will suffer, and our allies will take casualties.
On September 1, President Biden will face his biggest test. I hope he can pass it, for the sake of our troops and the country.
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On employers and vaccines: tie the shot to the availability of good employer-subsidized health insurance. No need to keep an anti-vaxxer in the company's main risk pool of they are going to raise costs for everyone else. Provide the minimal level required by law and treat the real plan as a bonus for employees who got the shot.
Mandate is a dirty word. I don't understand why fully vaccinated workers would quit their jobs if they believe the vaccines (and subsequent boosters) are effective. I do understand why workers who have serious reservations would quit if vaccines were mandated. I think they are wrong but their resolve to resist should be tested in some fashion. Maybe serious bribes would work. It's less expensive than losing production and firing employees and hiring and training new workers. Arranging one-on-one meetings between hesitant employees and personable, respected MDs or other healthcare professionals might help.
I'm probably not alone in thinking this but I've read enough comments from people who claim to be against vaccinations to think that most such commenters are just trouble makers who know many readers will not check out the "facts" or links. I never take a link that doesn't ring true to me at face value.