Can I Be Required to Get Vaccinated Against Covid-19?
President Joe Biden said early on he didnt support making vaccinations mandatory, and in any case, the federal governments power to impose vaccine requirements is limited. However, states clearly have that authority, and theyve used it in other cases. Mandates dont mean forced vaccinations, but rather penalties or denial of services for those who dont get them. Indonesia, which in February required those eligible for Covid vaccination to take it, penalizes refusers by levying fines and denying government services and assistance. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte threatened to jail those who refuse Covid shots, but his justice secretary countered that no law compels citizens to get vaccinated. A New York state lawmaker proposed a bill in early December that would require Covid vaccines for all residents who can safely take them should public health officials determine that an insufficient percentage of people are getting immunized. It provides no penalty for noncompliance. But the bill has yet to move out of committee, while a competing measure would prohibit New York from mandating immunization, as would proposed laws in a few other states.