I am a virologist by training, hold a PhD in molecular virology, and currently work in the clinical diagnostic industry.  Due to this, I've been working with SARS-CoV-2 (causative agent of COVID-19) for almost a year-and-a-half now.  I would like to say that normally, I am in favor of vaccination (i.e. polio, measles, tetanus, etc.), and understand the desire to vaccinate children as this is a way of eradicating disease (i.e. polio).  If the COVID-19 vaccine had full FDA-approval, meaning that clinical trials had been completed over the course of 3-4 years and adequate data showing safety and long term effects had been generated, there would be a case for making these vaccines part of the standard regimen of childhood vaccines.  However, these vaccines are not there yet and given the current EXPERIMENTAL status of all COVID-19 vaccines on the market now, I am completely opposed to this proposed vaccine mandate.

The reason for my hesitation can be explained by the increase in documented cases of these mRNA vaccines having significant side effects that are extremely detrimental (i.e. development of heart arrhythmias, decreased lung capacity, etc.), and, in fact, Moderna's has now been banned in a number of European countries due to these dangers.  Knowing all of this, it would be unethical and immoral to force such vaccines on children, whose immune systems are very different from adults, and it is my professional opinion that we do not have sufficient data over the long term to determine how these differences interact with these vaccines.  Furthermore, as more data is generated under the EUAs for these vaccines, it is clear that their adverse reaction rate is a concern, and because of this, I cannot and will not support any such vaccine mandate in the Commonwealth of Virginia.  

Furthermore, I have concerns regarding the aspect of this proposal that would ban religious exemptions for this experimental vaccine.  I believe this is in direct opposition to the First Amendment in the US Bill of Rights and, therefore, unconstitutional.  This proposal would invite legal challenges and lead to a large amount of VA taxpayer money being used in court to defend what seems likely to be an indefensible policy.  As a taxpayer to the Commonwealth of Virginia, I would have those tax dollars spent on actually bettering people's lives by developing therapeutics rather than on a fruitless endeavor with high legal fees.

In conclusion, due to the EXPERIMENTAL nature of this vaccine, the most current, available data suggesting a concerningly high rate of adverse effects, the recent banning of Moderna's vaccine in Europe due to said adverse effects, the lack of data on long term effects of the vaccines, and the likelihood that this mandate would result in costly legal battles that would ultimately fail, I strongly urge Virginia to reject a COVID-19 vaccine mandate.  We cannot subject our children to an experimental vaccine that could result in lifelong health problems.

Thank you for considering this.