Thank you for your editorial supporting vaccine mandates “Vaccine mandates will save lives” [Aug. 15, Opinion]. The fact that there is a debate already about COVID-19 vaccines is a medical miracle, compared to development timelines for all other vaccines. After hundreds of millions of people have received doses around the world, there should be no more debate about safety.
It is not a question about politics or rights. It’s about health. No one has a right to force others around them in a restaurant to breathe their secondhand smoke. Likewise, no one has a constitutional right to force innocent bystanders to inhale their Covid-infected aerosols from their lungs.
Just like seat belt and helmet laws, vaccine mandates protect citizens from themselves and saves lives of those around them. The science is clear that the vaccines will finally and safely end the pandemic. For those who disagree, remember, science doesn’t care what you believe.
Victor J. Barry, Gig Harbor