Bill In Albany Could Make Coronavirus Vaccine Mandatory

NEW YORK — The distribution of a vaccine for the new coronavirus is imminent, and two assemblymembers in Albany have different ideas about getting it out to the public.

There are currently two bills being considered in the state Assembly dealing with mandating the administration of the vaccination.

One, sponsored by Assemblywoman Linda Rosenthal, D-Manhattan, mandates that, if public health officials determine New Yorkers aren't developing sufficient immunity from the virus, certain individuals or groups should be required to take the vaccine.

The other, sponsored by Assemblyman John Salka, R-Brookfield, Madison County, says that no one in the state shall be required to take the vaccine used against the new coronavirus.

Rosenthal's legislation is based on the assumption that if not enough people are volunteering to take the vaccine then the state should step in for the good of the general public's health.

The bill does allow someone to opt out if he or she receives a medical exemption from a licensed medical professional.

According to an NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist Poll released Wednesday, more Americans are comfortable with the idea of taking a vaccine for the new coronavirus than they were a couple of months ago.

The poll found that 61 percent of those questioned said they would take the vaccine if it becomes available to them. That is an increase from 49 percent in September.

Thirty-two percent now said they will not take the shot, down from 44 percent.

Poll officials said the change has been across party lines.

The justification summary for Rosenthal's bill said, while steps have been taken to reduce the spread of the virus, public health experts "have concluded that a vaccine will be necessary to develop herd immunity and ultimately stop the spread of the disease."

She said the state must make certain that a high enough percentage of the population is vaccinated against the coronavirus to develop sufficient immunity.

If enough people don't get vaccinated, Rosenthal wants state health experts to act.

Herd immunity, according to Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, is achieved when most of a population is immune to an infectious disease. Depending on the disease, anywhere from 50 percent to 90 percent of people have to be immune in order to achieve herd immunity.

In an interview on WUTQ, posted Thursday, Salka compared administering the vaccine for the coronavirus with that of the influenza vaccine — people can make up their own minds to be vaccinated or not.

He said the vaccine was "relatively untested" and was produced too quickly in his opinion for "something that is going to affect hundreds of millions" of people.

Salka said he wants people to do their own research and make up their own minds about getting the vaccine.

Both of the bills are in committee.

The NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist Poll was a survey of 1,065 adults, conducted Dec. 1 through Dec. 6. The margin of error is +/-3.7 percent.