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\u00a9 Reuters \/ Brian Snyder<\/p><\/div><\/p>\n
RT.com<\/p>\n
Virginia\u2019s health commissioner said he will make a coronavirus vaccine legally mandatory for all state residents when one is ready, arguing it will save lives, as critics push back, demanding the right to choose for themselves.<\/p>\n
Dr Norman Oliver, who heads up the state\u2019s department of health, said he would require all Virginians to get the jab so long as he remains health commissioner when a vaccine is available,\u00a0according<\/a>\u00a0to local ABC affiliate WRIC.<\/p>\n \u201c[Covid-19] is killing people now, we don\u2019t have a treatment for it and if we develop a vaccine that can prevent it from spreading in the community, we will save hundreds and hundreds of lives,\u201d<\/em>\u00a0Oliver said.<\/p>\n ALSO ON RT.COM<\/span>Bill Gates says \u2018final hurdle\u2019 to distributing a Covid-19 vaccine will be convincing people to TAKE IT<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a>While the Virginia legislature is currently considering a\u00a0bill<\/a>\u00a0that would permit religious exemptions to a vaccine mandate, as of now only those with certain medical conditions can opt out under state law.<\/p>\n Oliver said he\u00a0\u201cstrongly opposes\u201d<\/em>\u00a0any religious exemption, and dismissed safety concerns over the immunizations, insisting\u00a0\u201cwe would not launch a campaign around mass vaccination with anything that hasn\u2019t proven to be safe.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n A local advocacy group, the\u00a0Virginia Freedom Keepers<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 whose stated mission is to\u00a0\u201craise awareness\u201d<\/em>\u00a0on\u00a0\u201cmedical freedom\u201d<\/em>\u00a0issues \u2013 sees things quite differently. The group\u2019s communications director, Kathleen Medaries, blasted the health commissioner, saying\u00a0\u201che shouldn\u2019t be the one person to make a decision for all of Virginians.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cThis is not a Republican or Democrat issue. It\u2019s not a pro-vaccine or anti-vaccine issue,\u201d<\/em>\u00a0Medaries added.\u00a0\u201cFor me, it\u2019s an issue of being able to assess each vaccine for myself and my family one at a time.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n ALSO ON RT.COM<\/span>Russian developer of world’s first Covid-19 vaccine says it will protect against killer virus for at least TWO YEARS<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a>Medaries and the Freedom Keepers are far from alone in their trepidation. Recent\u00a0polling data<\/a>\u00a0indicates that some 40 percent of Americans would either refuse a vaccine outright, or are still unsure if they would take one. Netizens have also voiced skepticism following Oliver\u2019s comments \u2013 many echoing the concerns over civil liberties, while others pointed to potentially dangerous\u00a0\u201cexperimental\u201d<\/em>\u00a0immunizations.<\/p>\n