Connecticut has recently become the 6th US state to end exemptions from vaccines for religious purposes. This decision must have been difficult, however, I believe it is the best way to end the current increase in COVID-19 cases in Connecticut, as well as for other illnesses that require vaccinations.

While I do respect that people should be allowed to decide what gets put into their bodies, when this decision affects the lives of others, it becomes a much larger issue. And with morale so low during the pandemic, it is important to do everything we can to make sure that life can return to how it was pre-COVID-19, as soon as possible.

In normal circumstances, I think that people refusing vaccines is only a slight inconvenience for the public. However, since we are in a global pandemic I think public safety should be handled with greater importance.

By allowing people to refuse the COVID-19 vaccine, it is hindering the progress that many people in society have been working towards for over a year. Doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals have sacrificed their lives for the safety of others, and to see their legacy wiped out would be an injustice to society.

Furthermore, it would be a huge waste of money to have created the vaccine with haste only for some people not to get it and end up creating longer quarantine times for everyone else. Governments and others have invested billions of dollars into a vaccine, and to see people refuse the vaccine who are eligible to get it would set back our progress thus far.

 Refusing the vaccine can also be detrimental to our economy. If 30% of the population follow through with their statement that they wouldn’t get the vaccine, it will take longer for the economy to rebuild, and even then it could be subject to shut back down for outbreaks. This again would completely set back our country’s progress of containing the virus.

To prevent these unpleasant futures from becoming a reality, there are different precautions that can be implemented. For example, masks can become a year-round requirement for anti-vaxxers whenever they are around others. However, I think that for the immediate future of the coronavirus pandemic, the COVID-19 vaccine should be required for everyone. Therefore, the vaccine can have the greatest impact on the public and help get life back on track.