“The desire to end the seemingly never-ending pandemic has led Americans to put a lot of faith in the federal government. This can be dangerous. The United States has checks and balances and separation of powers for a reason. If these were neglected, it could set a dangerous precedent. Some businesses have already implemented vaccine requirements on their own terms or because of a state mandate; however, a federal mandate carries a heavier weight and attempts to usurp state sovereignty. After all, the 10th amendment provides the states with the authority to oversee public health, not the federal government.”
Read More“It is easy for those of us who live in wealthy nations with high vaccination rates to think of those in poorer or war-torn countries as pitiable but distant. Something to be concerned about, though lacking any real impact on the success of our own COVID eradication efforts. This, however, is a grave misjudgment. Not only is vaccine nationalism and the zero-sum prioritization of one’s own population a moral failing, it is scientifically counterproductive.”
Read More“By allowing wealthier individuals the opportunity to travel to remote locations for vaccine accessibility, medical care providers set a poor precedent. When privileged individuals are going to disenfranchised communities and “jumping the line” for the COVID-19 vaccine, taking away supplies from community members, what bigger display of privilege could governments possibly condone? The pandemic has already significantly widened the gap between the wealthy and the poor, and vaccine tourism highlights yet another clear disparity between the elite and poor populations of the world. Without any clear regulation about vaccine tourism – from federal or state governments – accessibility to vaccines will become yet another gross inequity the pandemic has unveiled.”
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