On February 14, President Donald Trump signed an executive order cutting federal funds to K-12 and higher education institutions that require COVID-19 vaccines for enrollment. However, most institutions no longer require COVID-19 vaccinations. Some social media users celebrated the executive order, while others called for eliminating all vaccine mandates and changing the immunization schedule. Several posts criticized the order for pandering to false claims about COVID-19 vaccines and expressed concerns that a similar order targeting other vaccines may follow.
Recommendation
Much opposition to vaccine mandates is based on misleading and false claims about the safety, effectiveness, and importance of vaccines. Talking points may emphasize that vaccines have saved millions of lives and prevented countless debilitating conditions. Messaging may also explain that all public schools require vaccinations to protect communities against preventable outbreaks, but few schools mandate COVID-19 vaccines. School vaccine requirements are associated with higher immunization rates, reducing the risk of vaccine-preventable outbreaks.
Fact-checking sources: Physicians & Surgeons
