Will You Be Forced to Get a COVID-19 Vaccine?

The COVID-19 vaccine has arrived, and some are applauding it. 

But some are not. 

Half of Americans say they don't want to get the vaccine, according to a December poll. Although more recent polling shows more might be willing to get the vaccine now.  But Republicans are twice likely as Democrats to not want the vaccine.

A woman attending a Trump rally in Washington said, "I think the vaccine is a great vaccine for people who are really scared about the virus and if they want to take the vaccine because they think they're going to be safer then, by all means, do it. But me personally, I'm okay."

A man at the rally said, "I am not worried about the coronavirus, no. As a matter of fact, I'd rather get it over with, you know. I've probably already had it."

But what if you don't have a choice in the matter?

Can the Government Force You to Get It?

Could you be forced to get a COVID-19 vaccine? That depends on your definition of "force."

In the landmark case Jacobson v. Massachusetts in 1905, the Supreme Court ruled that the city of Cambridge, Massachusetts could fine residents who refused to receive smallpox vaccinations. 

Dr. Bradley Jacob, a constitutional law expert at Regent University said, "The court did not rule that the government can hold you down on a table and force a syringe into your arm, even if you refuse. They simply said people who choose not to get the vaccine might have to pay a fine."

But businesses and schools can require vaccinations of employees, customers, and students.  

Businesses Can Force Employees to get the Vaccine – But Many Will Make It Voluntary

"There's a big difference between what the government can do and what a private business or private party can do," Jacob said, "An employer can force you to vaccinate and say, 'If you want to come to our workplace and do this job you have to get a vaccination.' A public school can require the students to vaccinate. They already do require lots of vaccinations."

Some of America's largest businesses say they will only encourage employees to get the vaccine in order to respect personal beliefs and to avoid medical liability if an employee is injured by the vaccine.

International Travelers Will Need It

But it's looking more and more likely that if you want to travel, especially internationally, you will have to get the vaccine. 

The airlines are testing an app called CommonPass, which would show whether a traveler has been vaccinated.  It was developed by the World Economic Forum, the same people who are pushing 'The Great Reset.'

If You Don't Need It for Work or Travel, Is It Worth the Risk to Take a Brand-New Vaccine?

If you don't need the vaccine to work or to travel or you're considered to be at low risk, some are asking if it's wise to risk taking a new vaccine for an illness with about a 99 percent survival rate for most people, according to CDC statistics. 

Silicon Valley technologist Yinon Weiss, a leading authority on Covid-19, says he won't be first in line to get this vaccine because there haven't been enough studies about possible long-term complications.

"If somebody is very vulnerable, I can see why they would be eager for the vaccine," Weiss says, "but for people who are low risk, I'm not convinced. I would like to see some long-term data on the vaccine."

And you won't be able to sue Pfizer or Moderna if you're damaged by the vaccine.  They've been given total immunity from liability.

Weiss wonders if this is creating a precedent for mandatory vaccinations when the next 'pandemic' comes along. 

"People call this a once in a century pandemic, but it's really not," Weiss says, "It's a once a generation event. We've had other pandemics, but for whatever reason society didn't decide to shut down the world over it."

The lockdowns have already sparked violent protests in Europe and Great Britain, and any attempt by governments to force citizens to get vaccinated will likely spark even more.