Covid-19

Employers may mandate vaccination after FDA approval

Once the Federal Drug Administration has given final approval to a Covid-19 vaccine, an employer may mandate vaccination for employees, Health Commissioner Mark Levine said at Friday’s press conference.

Last month, a Vermont Department of Health said there has been no discussion of mandatory Covid vaccination “by the state.” That qualifier, and similar statements by Health Commissioner Mark Levine, suggest a state-imposed vaccination mandate is unlikely anytime soon. But employer and other institutional mandates- that’s another story.

At today’s press conference, Calvin Cutler of WCAX asked about the possibility of employer mandates. “Institutions may mandate vaccination” once a vaccine is approved by the Federal Drug Administration, Levine answered. However the vaccines to be administered soon have only “emergency use authorization” and thus cannot be mandated, he said. It is unclear how long formal approval would take.

Some industries – notably airlines – are developing digital Covid-19 “passports” that would allow its immune holder more freedom to travel, attending public gatherings, and otherwise circulate more freely than those without. These digital documents are still in the development stages, according to Health.com. “The idea is that once the vaccine is widely available, the passport would be issued to people who have been vaccinated to let them move more freely, both locally and globally, by allowing access to indoor restaurants, movie theaters, and international travel.”

The first batch of vaccine delivered to Vermont, totaling 5850 doses, will be split between at-risk health care providers and recipients, especially residents of senior care facilities. 

“Mass” gatherings at Christmastime – Christmas Eve worshippers are encouraged to be “creative” in promoting safety at the traditional gathering this year, Gov. Scott said at the press conference. 

Christmas eve is traditionally among the best-attended services of the year. Donna Casullo of Fox 44 asked Gov. Scott if he had any concerns about “Christmas mass.”

“Anytime you you have a mass gathering – I don’t mean that in a religous sense – it’s a concern to us,” Scott said. “We have asked churches to limit gatherings [50% of occupancy] and use the protocols in place.” Twice he urged churches to “be creative” but did not specify. 

6 replies »

  1. At some point these bozo’s need to realize that pitchforks and torch’s are plentiful and cheap. Plus anyone with a hammer, saw and an angle grinder can build a guillotine!

    • For one thing, this is no time for false bravado. If you think your torches, pitchforks and guillotines are any match, for example, to FBI SWAT teams, the FDA aren’t the only bozos on the block.

      Just watch this account of Roger Stone’s arrest. And all of this because he allegedly made false statements and “…high level obstruction”…. “The extent he went to lie and deceive and to dodge and to tamper with this indictment, is extraordinary”.

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWTzCNY7_YY

      Now compare that to Biden’s business dealings with Ukraine and China.

      For another, as an employer, I reserve the right to require employees to be vaccinated. I also require drug testing to be sure employees aren’t alcoholic, heroine addicted, or cranked up on crystal meth. I require training. I require certain social behaviors. Why? Because, in my opinion, as a business owner, who’s responsibility it is to ‘be responsible’ to my employees and my customers, I reserve the right to set certain limits to assure my success.

      And guess what. For the time being, at least, I do business in an ‘at will’ business environment. Not only do I have the right to regulate my business, those who might consider working for me, or buying my products, have the right to NOT do business with me, based on their sense of personal responsibility. In fact, they can actually compete with me, work for my competition, or start their own businesses.

      The problem arises when ‘Government’ regulates what I do, whether as a business owner, an employee, or a customer. It’s not that ‘Government’ regulation isn’t ‘well meaning’. Let’s assume, for a moment that it is ‘well meaning’. The problem is that ‘Government’ isn’t doing my business. I am. Not only does ‘Government’ NOT understand the complexities of my business as well as I do, with its typical one-size-fits-all methodology, ‘Government’ accepts no responsibility for its regulation.

      That’s right. If the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), for example, requires that a machine I use has certain guarding mechanisms, ostensibly to protect the machine operator, and the mechanism turns out to actually cause an injury, OSHA and ‘the Government’ accept no responsibility for the offending outcome. No, the ‘Government’ doesn’t accept responsibility for providing the Worker’s Compensation coverage that pays for the required healthcare. The ‘Government’ doesn’t accept responsibility for the Disability Coverage, re-training, or unemployment payments. No. As the employer, I accept that responsibility… and I pay for it. The ‘Government’ doesn’t.

      I’m not here to tell anyone whether or not they should take any vaccine. I am here to tell you that doing so is your business. And, unfortunately, not only do you have to decide for yourselves that the benefits of a vaccine outweigh its risks. Today, with our over-regulating and totally irresponsible Government officials, we have to weigh the risk of breaking the Government’s regulations, whether or not they prove to be effective.

  2. @Hay. J. not only what you said… “Government’ accepts no responsibility for its regulation.” The government will also not take any responsibility for death and damages from the vaccine and neither will big pharma. You are on your own. FDA emergency authorization of the Pfizer vaccine with its sketchy clinical trials is reprehensible.

  3. To make a vaccine mandatory with CARDS of the proof that you’ve had it, smacks of communism, what’s next checkpoints to prove you’ve got your card? Masks aren’t good enough any more? That begs the question of if they ever were? What about persons with severe allergies to any vaccine. Is big government now regulating your health care, are they willing to guarantee your good health in writing in case of adverse reactions? Down the slippery slope of the loss of personal freedom, who protects an employer who makes the vaccine mandatory if 5 of his employees die as a result?