Whether or not to receive the Covid-19 vaccine is and should continue to be a matter of personal conscience.  Some people prefer to have the vaccine, and if that is their preference, so be it.  Some people prefer not to have the vaccine, whether for religious reasons or because they already had Covid-19 (and therefore are in a very strong position), or have serious doubts about the safety of the vaccine, or for dozens of other reasons, and if that is their preference, so be it.  Freedom of conscience is a serious freedom for Americans and should not be jeopardized.  In the county in which I live, Prince William County, there is a serious shortage of teachers; the article I read in the Bull Run Observer indicated 700 teachers were needed even as school was supposed to start.  This is a serious labor shortage which will undoubtedly increase if the Virginia Health Department mandates this vaccine for all of the teachers and students.  Quite frankly, a mandate of this sort is almost criminal given the severe need for teachers and the severe need for children to receive an education.  It is definitely an overarching and unjustified action by the Virginia Health Department.  Parents, who are the primary means for their children's well-being, should be not only allowed, but encouraged, to use their best judgment and their convictions to guide their decisions about their children's exposure to the Covid-19 vaccines.  Given that the Commonwealth of Virginia is ranked 50th out of the 50 states in the quality of education that students receive, it is not prudent to put up any more barriers to education by mandating a vaccine to which so many people are opposed, nor is it prudent to infringe upon American freedoms that have been bought by so great a price.