I firmly oppose any attempt to require COVID vaccines or masking as a condition of employment or in-person attendance at any school or business. The current scientific evidence indicates that masking students IS NOT effective in reducing spread in schools, that vaccinated people ARE NOT at risk from unvaccinated since the vaccines work to significantly reduce symptoms, and that the health risks from COVID for healthy unvaccinated people are low. Given those scientific 'facts', there is no justification for ANY mask of vaccine mandates for students or staff.
"The Science" clearly and unambiguously show that masking DOES NOT show efficacy in reducing the risk of COVID transmission among students https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2021/08/the-science-of-masking-kids-at-school-remains-uncertain.html. Cloth masks are unable to protect against COVID exposure, which is spread thru aerosolized droplets that are NOT stopped by cloth masks. https://academic.oup.com/cid/advance-article/doi/10.1093/cid/ciab691/6343417.
"The Science" also indicates that children are at the same risk from COVID as they are from the flu https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2021/07/the-kids-were-safe-from-covid-the-whole-time.html - it's criminally negligent to require children to take a vaccine that has no long-term safety data in order to 'protect' them from something that is no more harmful than what they've commonly faced every year without extreme mandates.
"The Science" shows that vaccines are continuing to protect healthy, vaccinated people from severe illness, with even a breakthrough infection likely to result only in mild symptoms or none at all. https://www.mayoclinic.org/coronavirus-covid-19/covid-variant-vaccine. Vaccinated people are at virtually NO risk from COVID - there is NO REASON for Vaccinated people to be concerned about those who are unvaccinated.
"The Science" shows that the vaccinated are less likely to show symptoms, but are still able to spread COVID https://www.ksla.com/2021/09/21/cdc-study-says-covid-19-can-spread-vaccinated/. Indeed, evidence indicates that vaccinated people can carry the same viral load as the unvaccinated https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/70/wr/mm7031e2.htm?s_cid=mm7031e2_w. While emerging studies suggest vaccinated people may be less likely to get a transmissible infection, we do not yet have data to prove this overcomes the risk that vaccinated people with minimal symptoms may be more likely to circulate within the community than unvaccinated people who know they're sick.
'The Science" shows that choosing to vaccinate is not without risk. As-of today, the VAERS data shows approximately 13K deaths, 17K permanent disabilities, 54K hospitalizations, and 14k life-threatening injuries. http://vaersanalysis.info/2021/08/20/vaers-summary-for-covid-19-vaccines-through-8-13-2021/
"The Science" shows that the vast majority of those working-age people infected with COVID - vaccinated or not - recover without incident. While the case fatality rate of COVID is estimated at a bit less than 2%, nearly 80% of those US COVID Deaths have been in those aged 65 or older. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nvss/vsrr/covid_weekly/index.htm. It is also well-accepted that comorbidities such as diabetes, hypertension, and obesity substantially increase risk. Every life matters and, fortunately, those who consider themselves to be at risk can stay safe by making the personal choice to get vaccinated.
Despite early 20th century legal precedent for vaccine mandates (that must accommodate religious exemptions), the science proves there is no justification for our government to attempt to bypass the restrictions placed on the government that are articulated by 14th amendment: "nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law". Mandating vaccination deprives people of liberty without due process of law. I will vigorously support all politicians and legislation that fights against any misguided and unconstitutional rule-making.