While a vaccine is a wise preventative that many Virginians have already accepted, including myself, a minority of people - either through religious concerns or through underlying health issues that a vaccine may cause concern due to allergies or other reasons - are concerned that the vaccine may cause them more harm, than the potential protection of a vaccine may afford.  Such personal health concerns, and genuine religious restrictions, should not be ignored.  Individuals who have safely navigated the COVID world with masking, separation, and adequate cleaning should be afforded the opportunity to continue their prudent approach.

Kristen Calleja's petition is not based on science and does not support the health of our children.  There is not an approved vaccine for young children, and the virus has proven effective at contaminating even those with the vaccine.  In such a case, a vaccinated teacher - in an unmasked situation - would more readily spread the virus to their students than would an unvaccinated teacher in a masked environment.  All students must be protected, which means all must observe masking and separation guidance. 

With these protections required anyway given our situation and status of the pandemic, the risk is no higher if a few employees are not vaccinated - provided they observe proper protections.  Indeed, given the science-supported observation that the virus has already infected vaccinated persons, then a lowering of our protection as advocated by Ms. Calleja would place our unvaccinated children at a much higher risk of infection than our current state.

Our country was founded on the basic human right to freedom of religion.  George Mason wrote the Bill of Rights for Virginia, which served as a model at the federal level.  Section 16 of Virginia's Bill of Rights includes the right to freedom of religion: "That religion or the duty which we owe to our Creator, and the manner of discharging it, can be directed only by reason and conviction, not by force or violence" yet Ms. Calleja proposes just such force and coercion to employees in schools.  For such employees would be forced and coerced - for fear of losing their employment and livelihood unless capitulating to the edicts of the State.  

I humbly urge our Commonwealth to honor our Bill of Rights, respect our long heritage of supporting freedom and democracy, respect the science of the safest path to protecting our children, and reject the dangerous petition urged by Ms. Calleja.

Sincerely,

Doug Hyslop