Turning Point USA organizes fight against vaccine mandates at nation’s colleges
By isabelle // 2021-07-10
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As more and more colleges try to impose vaccine mandates on their students and staff, a conservative advocacy group is launching a campaign to fight against such efforts. The group, Turning Point USA, has now launched a web page that includes a list of schools that have put COVID-19 vaccine mandates in place and details its work in helping to preserve people's freedom. Turning Point USA's founder and president, Charlie Kirk, said: “I’m not anti-COVID vaccination, and I’m not pro-COVID vaccination—I’m COVID vaccine agnostic. But I am 100 percent against mandating this vaccination.” Many Americans see pandemic-related restrictions, vaccine passports and vaccine mandates as a violation of civil liberties. This is putting them at odds with supporters who view them as necessary inconveniences that they believe are protecting vulnerable populations. There are currently more than 2,500 college campuses that are attempting to force students to get vaccinations. For many who opposed the move, it is not so much about the vaccine itself, despite its many dangers and unknowns. Instead, it is more a question of freedom and being opposed to the idea of stopping people from participating in society if they do not wish to get an experimental vaccine. Moreover, because most college students are in the age range where they have a very low risk of serious complications from COVID-19, it does not make a lot of sense to require them to get a vaccine to attend class.

Biden administration ramping up vaccination campaign

Their effort couldn't come at a better time as the Biden administration is increasing its efforts to convince people to get the jab after missing their self-imposed deadline of getting 70 percent of American adults at least one shot by July 4th. Data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that more than 67 percent of American adults have gotten at least one shot so far, while more than 157 million Americans are now fully vaccinated. The administration recently announced a plan to send teams to people’s doors in areas with low vaccination rates to provide them with "information" about vaccines. This, of course, indicates that the government is keeping track of who is vaccinated and who is not. Turning Point USA's website includes statistics that the mainstream media often glosses over, such as the fact that the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System has received nearly 6000 reports of death following the vaccines so far. It also points out that the mRNA vaccines being given have never been used in humans before and the long-term health effects of this approach are unknown. It also reminds readers of a fact that is getting hardly any coverage anywhere: the PREP Act gives vaccine makers like Moderna and Pfizer immunity from any legal action brought about by patients who experience side effects or die from the vaccine. In other words, they do not have to worry about being held accountable if their vaccines cause harm to people.

Thousands of higher education institutions are trying to force students to get vaccinated

Turning Point's site also has a useful list of the schools that are currently requiring COVID vaccines for students, along with links to their website, where you can learn more about the requirements. So far, many of the institutions that have announced vaccine mandates are private schools like Duke University and Cornell University. Many other public and private schools are waiting for clarification on the legality of these mandates. While many colleges already require students who attend classes on campus to be vaccinated against viral diseases like rubella, mumps and measles, the new COVID-19 vaccine is different because it has only been granted emergency use authorization and is still considered experimental. Although medical and religious exemptions may be allowed in some cases, some colleges are expected to push students who don't get the vaccine to take their classes online. Those who do attend classes in person may be excluded from activities such as studying abroad and will likely be forced to undergo regular COVID-19 testing. The Biden administration should not be surprised that they missed their highly ambitious goal. They appear to have underestimated the intelligence of the American people and their initiative in seeking unbiased information about vaccine safety rather than accepting what the mainstream media feeds them. And the fact that so many people are joining movements like Turning Point USA, even if they have gotten the vaccine themselves, illustrates how strong Americans’ will to protect their freedom truly is. Sources for this article include: TheEpochTimes.com BestColleges.com
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