Vaccines should be mandatory for highly dense and populous states. As of this writing the state of New York has mandated that all private sector employees receive at least two vaccination shots. Likewise, President Biden has also passed laws that require businesses with over 100 employees to provide proof of vaccination or submit their employees to rapid testing. Although intrusive, these mandates and legal procedures are required to help reduce the overall economic damage to society and communities. Research conducted showed the rapid decline of economic activity as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Table 1 below indicates the reduction in labor force as COVID-19 disrupted the overall economic activity of the United States. Here the figure illustrates that dramatic of jobs from February 2020 to September 2021. Eve more alarmins is that a large percentage of these jobs are occupied by low- and middle-income families, further exacerbating the impact of the pandemic of the lives of hard-working Americans.
Figure 1.
A vaccination mandate is designed to help limit the economic damage from COVID-19 by requiring individuals to become immunizied against the virus. This is benefitial as it allows the prevention of wide-spreat infection in areas in which social distancing is very difficult to achieve. In the case of New York City, the area is very dense which presents socially distancing challenges. By mandating the vaccine, the state is in a position to better mitigate the negative influnces of COVID-19 on the state (Anukoonwattak, 2020). This includes a reduction in absenteeism, lowe productivity, and ultimately death. Through the mandate the aim is to ensure the continuity of economic activity while also ensuring the at indiviuals remain employees, working and being productive.
References
1. Anukoonwattaka, Witada, and Mia Mikic (2020). Beyond the COVID-19 pandemic: coping with the new normal in supply chains. ESCAP policy brief. Available at https://www.unescap.org/sites/default/files/Policy_brief_supply_chain.pdf
