Mandated Arguments

Tell me your troubles and doubts
Giving me everything inside and out
--Simple Minds

Arguments for vaccine mandates usually assume at least one of the following positions.

Best way out. Vaccinating is the best scientifically-known way to end a pandemic. Therefore, everyone must be vaccinated.

Menace to society. Unvaccinated individuals can infect others. Because they put other people at risk, unvaccinated people are a danger to society--perhaps criminally so. 

Resource hog. If an unvaccinated person gets infected and requires hospitalization, then that person is tying up scarce resources that other people would have available to them in the event that they fall ill. When hospitals are near capacity, deserving people may have to be turned away because of the imprudent choices of others.

Freedom robbers. Unvaccinated people rob freedom from others. People cannot live freely if they feel threatened by the behavior of unvaccinated individuals.

We'll discuss these arguments in future posts.