All together now: Healthy children are at a vanishingly small risk for serious illness or death from COVID-19, and the novel mRNA shot can produce harmful side effects in young people, with myocarditis in young men being especially pronounced. In recognition of these clearly observable trends, some countries, such as Holland and the UK, have recommended children not get COVID shots.
Yet, inexplicably, the CDC’s advisory panel voted unanimously on Wednesday to add the COVID shot to the Vaccines for Children (VFC) program. (Well, inexplicable unless you look at them as compromised hacks in bed with Big Pharma.)
Panel member Dr. Sara Oliver noted that “the incorporation of the COVID-19 vaccine in the immunization schedule and the vaccines for children or VFC program is an important step in the inclusion of COVID-19 vaccines in a routine vaccination program” — even if that vaccine is superfluous and possibly dangerous.
While the VFC schedule is only a suggestion, not a mandate, it’s supposed to be the gold standard of best medical practices for kids. Thus, the individual states look to the VFC when setting their standards, with some state laws automatically mandating whatever the panel recommends.
This may have been an efficient and beneficial system back in the day when government work was seen as a patriotic service rather than an opportunity to push agendas and reap personal benefits. But since Leftism has corrupted pretty much every federal institution at this point, blindly following CDC recommendations is no longer the wisest course of action. Accordingly, quite a few governors and gubernatorial candidates are declaring that they will not mandate COVID shots for children — and not all of them are Republicans.
Naturally leading the pack because he is a natural leader, boss-Gov. Ron DeSantis assured his constituents he would never force a novel and unnecessary procedure onto their kids. “As long as I’m around, as long as I’m kicking and screaming, there will be no COVID shot mandates for your kids,” he declared in an appearance after the panel decision was announced. “That is your decision to make as a parent. These are new shots. … The surgeon general of Florida does not recommend this for young kids, for kids under 18. And basically, his reason for that is there’s not really been a proven benefit for that. … The important thing is, school districts are not mandating this choice.” Music to parents’ ears.
As long as I am Governor, in Florida there will not be a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for children in our schools. pic.twitter.com/oDXAj3c4Oy
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) October 20, 2022
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp likewise reminded residents that he had already settled the issue with the state legislature to ensure there would be no mandated COVID injections, and nothing would change because of the panel decision.
Working with the General Assembly earlier this year, we ensured Georgia does not and will not have any COVID-19 vaccine mandates.
This continues to be the case as we move further beyond the pandemic.
— Governor Brian P. Kemp (@GovKemp) October 21, 2022
Related: BREAKING: Blue State Supreme Court Reinstates Fired Unvaxxed Workers, Orders Back Pay
When one glances around various news sites, one finds reports of nearly two dozen governors who have stepped forward to declare their states will not mandate the novel mRNA shot for kids. Not surprisingly, most of them are Republicans, including:
- Kay Ivey (Ala.)
- Doug Ducey (Ariz.)
- Asa Hutchinson (Ark.)
- Ron DeSantis (Fla.)
- Brian Kemp (Ga.)
- Brad Little (Idaho)
- Eric Holcomb (Ind.)
- Kim Reynolds (Iowa)
- Mike Parson (Mo.)
- Greg Gianforte (Mont.)
- Mike DeWine (Ohio)
- Kevin Stitt (Okla.)
- Henry McMaster (S.C.)
- Kristi Noem (S.D.)
- Bill Lee (Tenn.)
- Spencer Cox (Utah)
- Glenn Youngkin (Va.)
- Mark Gordon (Wyo.)
Even before the CDC panel vote, many states already had bans on COVID shot mandates for kids in place, reports Epoch Times:
The National Academy for State Health Policy includes about 20 states that have already barred COVID-19 vaccines from being included in mandates for schools and students. Those include Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Mississippi, Montana, New Hampshire, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and West Virginia, according to the group’s website, which was updated months before the CDC panel’s vote.
Even some Democrat governors have opted not to mandate children get the shot. They are:
- Jared Polis (Colo.)
- Ned Lamont (Conn.)
- Laura Kelly (Kan.)
Maine Gov. Janet Mills, a Democrat, has also said she will not ask the state legislature to pass a mandate — which of course doesn’t mean she would veto one if it lands on her desk.
Meanwhile, with elections close at hand, at least 10 Republican gubernatorial candidates have announced that they would also cancel any mandate for kids if elected. Independent journalist Margaret Menge writes on Substack:
10 Republican candidates for governor have declared they will not mandate the vaccines for school children if elected: Lee Zeldin in New York, Darren Bailey in Illinois, Heidi Ganahl in Colorado, Kari Lake in Arizona, Bob Stefanowski in Connecticut, Tudor Dixon in Michigan, Tim Michels in Wisconsin, Dan Cox in Maryland, Derek Schmidt in Kansas, and Doug Mastriano in Pennsylvania.
With many of these races tightening, candidates coming down on the side of parents’ right to make medical decisions for their children may become a deciding factor.
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