Many readers will probably have seen that Indiana University's mandate for vaccination has survived a legal challenge, which is not surprising given that the Supreme Court has recognized the constitutionality of state-mandated vaccination more than a century ago. Meanwhile, Boston College, a private Catholic university, is facing backlash because it has taken the reasonable and correct position that being Catholic is not grounds for a religious exemption from vaccination:
BC said in a statement that because Pope Francis told Catholics they have a moral obligation to take the vaccine, an exemption is not being granted to members of that faith. Other religious exemptions will be reviewed case-by-case.
All I can say is: God bless them! Exemptions from mandatory vaccination schemes are a classic case of burden-shifting exemptions, ones that imposes risks on others. Very few religious traditions actually object to vaccination, and Catholicism is not one of them.
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