[kitd]

You can agree that its within the federal authority to mandate vaccines, but it really should be a decision made and explicitly endorsed by elected representatives rather than some agency (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) that I have never heard of until now and whose head is appointed by one person.

If the CMS does it, it is a public health decision. Doing it in Congress makes it a political decision.

IMO, the better route is that the CMS issues the mandate, but that Congress ratifies it. Ie, they have to provide a clear reason why the public health decision should be overruled.

[bko]

I disagree. It is a political decision to force 2 million Americans to get a vaccine that they don't want under threat of not being allowed to work in their profession. If you disagree with the decision at least you can vote the bastards out.

You're acting like its a trivial procedural matter. These people obviously feel very strongly about it since they're under immense pressure everywhere to get it and they still refuse. Or they may have other reservations, but to dismiss that and just have some nameless faceless un-elected organization intrude in their lives in such a meaningful way is really gross

[avs733]

congress could have acted here, they could still act. they didn't. Not doing something is a choice when it occurs in reaction to someone else doing something.

Whether it is a 'trivial' procedural matter simply isn't affected by people's strongly held beliefs

Strongly held beliefs don't exempt you from seat belt laws, from tax rules, or from any other law unless congress doing the thing congress is designed to do allows for it. It shouldn't.

CMS isn't unelected...it is an arm of the executive branch headed by the, elected, president and run by someone confirmed by the elected senate. It is given the authority to make rules in specific areas by the elected congress.

Your entire thread or argument is predicated on a false assumption...

[throwaway4220]

If fewer people dying/getting sick is a political goal, then more people dying/getting sick so that the current administration gets voted out can also be a political goal.

I'm not a fan of the situation, but you're acting like it's forced sterilization. It's just a vaccine with a very safe profile. For God's sake, all healthcare workers including the cleaning staff have to get flu shots and show their immunizations every year, or they can't work. Even as a college student I had to get a meningitis shot.

[CollinEMac]

>For God's sake, all healthcare workers including the cleaning staff have to get flu shots and show their immunizations every year, or they can't work. Even as a college student I had to get a meningitis shot.

The difference is that those examples aren't mandated by the federal government (as far as I know). I think most people are fine with companies and universities requiring people to be vaccinated.

[Notanothertoo]

It's a 'new' tech with a lot of shady political hand waving that impacts your body. Like redefining vaccine, a rushed testing process and... oh yea the feds waived all legal liabilities for the private entities that developed it.

I think given the context that if your under 65 you are more likely to have medical complications driving to the grocery store its a pretty understandable perspective.

Also the mandate has no exception for natural immunityI. It is I had it and no symptoms of it except I couldn't taste anything, given above, I why would I get a vaccine.