A person's body is their own and we should never force any person to make a medical decision that they disagree with. Protecting a person's religious and medical freedoms is of the utmost importance.  At the very, very least, medical and religious exemptions should be allowed with any vaccine mandate.  Who are we to question what an individual's healthcare provider feels is the best medical decision for an individual? Who are we to force a parent to do something that they feel is morally repugnant such as making a medical choice for their child that they believe could cause physical harm to their child? Long term studies with this shot on children have not been performed and we do not know what the long term results of receiving these shots might be.  My children's risk with having COVID-19 is low, and I will not give them a shot that I am not comfortable with.

Schools are already short staffed and forcing staff to be vaccinated may cause an even more severe shortage as staff members flee Virginia to states that are protecting their right to medical autonomy.

Vaccine mandates such as these do not take into account that many individuals have natural immunity.  Why would we force individuals to get a shot when they have protection from anti-bodies or T-cells from previous infection that provides equal (or better) protection to that provided by the vaccine?  

I cannot underscore enough how important this issue is not just to me but to many individuals here in Virginia. We should not be forced into a medical decision that we do not agree with.

And yes, I do understand what it is like to have high risk individuals in your family.  My elderly parents live with me.  I am a high-risk individual because of underlying health issues.  I have carefully and painstakingly considered the risks of COVID-19.  

And yes, I know what it is like to be affected by the loss of someone to COVID-19.  I have attended their funeral and still mourn the loss of a kind, brilliant, articulate person to a disease that their body could not fight off because of cancer treatments.  

Freedom is what the country is based on.  It is rare and unbelievably precious.  We are asking for medical freedom so that individuals can make their own decisions.

Thank you.