Argumentative Essay on Vaccine Should Not Be Required

📌Category: Coronavirus, Social Issues
📌Words: 948
📌Pages: 4
📌Published: 30 January 2022

Covid came into the world about two years ago, and since then, it has spread rapidly, killing hundreds daily. Due to this, the American and other governments have instated many mandates, Ranging from social distancing to masks to the latest discussion, mandating citizens to receive the Covid vaccine. The citizens of America worry that the government and others in power will not stop at a mask or social distancing mandate; they fear that if the covid vaccine is mandated, they will keep mandating things until, eventually, we lose our freedom as a whole. I feel that masks are a completely different issue to the Covid vaccine; masks are not something people get injected into their bodies. It is simply wearing a face covering to help prevent the spread of disease. The vaccine should not be required because people should be able to do what they want with their bodies and anything otherwise goes against free will, and therefore the Constitution. I believe that the government should not require the vaccine, but it should be highly encouraged.

Masks and vaccines differ in the level of protection they may offer a person and how they affect their bodies. Therefore, a person cannot say that mask and vaccine mandates are similar or should be treated equally. Mask policies can often seem similar to the ‘no shirt no shoes no service’ rule. A mask is simply something you wear, while a vaccine is something that permanently affects your body. In addition, different masks do different things for protecting the wearer and the people around them; “Also called surgical masks, these are loose fitting disposable masks. They're meant to protect the wearer from contact with droplets and sprays that may contain germs” (Mayoclinic, “How well do face masks protect against coronavirus?”). A  medical or surgical mask is used to protect the wearer from breathing in germs mainly. On the other hand, cloth masks are generally used to protect others from people who are sick or sick without symptoms. An article published by Mayoclinic states that, “A cloth mask is intended to trap respiratory droplets that are released when the wearer talks, coughs or sneezes. It also acts as a barrier to protect the wearer from inhaling droplets released by others” (Mayoclinic, “How well do face masks protect against coronavirus?”). Cloth masks still offer mild protection for the wearer. Masks are similar to the vaccine since they help protect those who wear them from Covid-19 and decrease the likelihood of transmitting the disease to others. Even with their few similarities, it is impossible to group these two things together when discussing mandates during the pandemic. 

The government has been discussing mandating the Covid-19 vaccine, and in my opinion, the vaccine should not be required. Having most people get the covid vaccine is essential to gaining herd immunity, if possible, and saving countless lives; however, no one can force someone to do something that will permanently impact their body. The 14th Amendment states, “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.”(“Constitution of the United States”art.14, sec. 1) Consequently, without a formal vote and consensus, the government cannot force citizens of the United States to take the vaccine against their own volition. Despite this, I still believe that the government was right to mandate masks since it provides protection and is not highly hindering. 

Even though with all the reasons not to mandate the vaccine, there are numerous reasons why mandating the Covid vaccine could have a positive impact. The most obvious reason for this is a decrease in the rates of infection. “Studies show that COVID-19 vaccines are effective at keeping you from getting COVID-19. Getting a COVID-19 vaccine will also help keep you from getting seriously ill even if you do get COVID-19...That means it is possible a person could still get COVID-19 before or just after vaccination and then get sick because the vaccine did not have enough time to build protection.”(Center for Disease Control and Prevention, “Key things to know about COVID-19 vaccines”) As this article states, it is possible to contract Covid-19 even when vaccinated. This can happen for multiple reasons. From a person’s vaccination not fully working yet, to getting infected with a different variant than the one the vaccine is designed for. However, this only happens in a small percentage of cases: “Infections happen in only a small proportion of people who are fully vaccinated, even with the Delta variant. When these infections occur among vaccinated people, they tend to be mild” (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, “Key things to know about COVID-19 vaccines”). Therefore, mandating the covid vaccine could help save hundreds of lives.

COVID-19 has brought countless new challenges for the world to face. Thousands of deaths and cases have led to shortages of ventilators and beds in hospitals; in short, this virus has ruined hundreds of thousands of lives. As a result of this, most governments, including America, have installed mandates to try and slow the spread. However, many American citizens worry that the government will not stop at mask mandates and mandate the Covid vaccine. I believe that it is wrong to force people to have something permanent done to their body. Masks, however, do not seem to be as much of an issue. A mask is not permanent, nor are there any common side effects. Contrary to this, the vaccine is permanent and can cause numerous side effects, minor or major. However, even if the number of people who experience major or lasting side effects is meager, it should still be considered. Although I feel it is not acceptable to force someone to get a vaccination, I admit there are many positive outcomes: lower infection rates and lesser likelihood of death from the virus.

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