To whom it may concern:

I understand that the government restrictions related to the pandemic have upended the lives of many. I also understand that many people have died from the complications related to the novel coronavirus. However, the harms of a vaccine mandate are far greater than the benefits at this time. I do not consider myself anti-science or anti-vaccination as a whole but these are my major objections against requiring any non-FDA approved vaccine:

1. The vaccine has not been approved by the FDA. It had only been emergency authorized. With a vaccine mandate, you will be requiring people to or withholding civil liberties to those who choose not to participate in a large-scale scientific experiment where the risks are unknown.
2. If the vaccine does truly work, which I do not assume it does not, those who are at risk have the opportunity to protect themselves if they so choose. Those who choose not to participate will assume their own personal risks. If you do not acknowledge that the vaccine will protect the vulnerable you are therefore assuming uncertainty in the effectiveness of the vaccine while requiring people to take it or withholding civil liberties if they do not.
3. The risk of most people dying or being hospitalized due to coronavirus is low enough that the benefits of taking a vaccine for said people are negligible. It might be better to allow the vaccine to be available for those who truly need it.
4. There are ethical implications of creating a second class of citizens based upon their decisions of whether or not to participate in a scientific experiment. In light of the racial discrimination of the past we will likely be returning to a new era of discrimination of an entire class of citizens. In the United States, people of colour have had a history of being forced to participate in medical procedures such as abortion and sterilization without their consent. Withholding their civil liberties because of refusal to participate in this scientific experiment will likely segregate them from many aspects of life as they have been segregated throughout American history.

If you have reasonable arguments against these concerns, I am open to hearing them. As you can see however, these statements are not those of a “conspiracy theorist” or a “science denier” but of someone who genuinely wants the answers about how the school will address these concerns. I understand that this is not a democratic process, but I hope to reach some consensus on these answers.

Thank you.