I was vaccinated against COVID-19 with a Johnson & Johnson single-dose shot by the Benton County Department of Health back in April, and have since received the Pfizer booster at Walgreens in Sartell.

I'm not an anti-vaxxer, but I'm also not a big fan of mandates. I didn't get a shot because someone told me I had to. I got one because based on conversations with my doctors and close friends in the medical world -- I feel that it's in my best interest to get vaccinated.

A rough translation of the Biden administration's vaccine program is that companies with 100 or more workers will need to make sure their employees either get vaccinated against COVID-19 or submit to a weekly test. Not doing so could result in hefty fines for the company, with all of this being administered by OSHA.

I'm not a big fan of that, but I get what they're trying to accomplish.

98.1 Minnesota's New Country logo
Get our free mobile app

Here's My Big Question

While we're telling the working people of Minnesota and America to vaccinate or they could lose their job -- I have not heard any of the following:

  • Vaccinate or lose your welfare benefits.
  • Vaccinate or no food stamps.
  • Vaccinate or no state of federal assistance.

Hell, it doesn't even include the U.S. Congress. (By the way there are 535 members which seems like it would qualify.)

I'm not against welfare, food stamps, or any other kind of government assistance where it's needed -- but it feels like there's a big hole in all of this. If we need to mandate that Americans get vaccinated, then it seems like we should include more than just large companies and the already-stressed workforce.

I don't pretend to have all the answers, so if I'm missing something would someone please enlighten me?

Answers to 25 common COVID-19 vaccine questions

Vaccinations for COVID-19 began being administered in the U.S. on Dec. 14, 2020. The quick rollout came a little more than a year after the virus was first identified in November 2019. The impressive speed with which vaccines were developed has also left a lot of people with a lot of questions. The questions range from the practical—how will I get vaccinated?—to the scientific—how do these vaccines even work?

Keep reading to discover answers to 25 common COVID-19 vaccine questions.

The Funniest Coronavirus Memes & Tweets That Will Get Us All Through This

 

More From 98.1 Minnesota's New Country