Democrat lawmakers in Texas are promoting the idea of vaccine mandates as public health officials continue to beg Americans to get vaccinated, seemingly dismissing the concerns of millions of Americans who have chosen not to receive the jab for personal reasons and concerns.
On Monday, Rep. Donna Howard (D), one of the Texas state lawmakers who fled to D.C. with dozens of her Democrat colleagues to protest Republican efforts to pursue election integrity legislation, quoted part of a lengthy thread from Bob Wachter, chair of the UCSF Department of Medicine.
“Last tweet of thread,” Howard wrote before quoting Wachter.
“‘Along w/ renewed restrictions it’s clear gentle persuasion did not achieve vax rate we need to defeat Covid. Yes the politics are hard but dying is worse as is re-tanking the economy. It’s time for vaccine mandates–nothing else gets us where we need to go,'” she quoted:
State Rep. Vikki Goodwin (D) retweeted the quote as well.
In the thread reference by Howard, Wachter said UC San Francisco is “not overwhelmed,” giving “thanks to vaccines” and essentially calling for the rest of America to follow suit and get the jab. In the meantime, he said it is “time to add back restrictions, “esp. indoor masking.”
Wachter said he is personally double-masking and refusing to dine indoors. But ultimately, he concluded vaccine mandates are the only thing that will get the U.S. “where we need to go”:
Notably, Howard is one of the fully vaccinated Texas “fleebaggers” who tested positive for the Chinese coronavirus after fleeing the Lone Star State alongside her maskless colleagues. While she claims the irony is not lost on her, she is now calling for a universal mask mandate:
During the weekend, more than two dozen state lawmakers signed a letter asking Gov. Greg Abbott (R) to make virtual learning an option this fall and to reverse the ban on mask mandates in schools:
Despite the Texas Democrats’ seeming plea for a vaccine mandate, a majority of Americans oppose being forced or coerced into getting a vaccine for the virus, a Convention of States Action/Trafalgar Group survey released last week found. More than 71 percent said vaccines should be a “personal choice.”