Vaccination nation

[pink_]

[. . .]

I will be required to have in person office hours in the Fall.

[. . . ]

Place yourself in your office while students meet with you via Webex. You will be on campus in your designated workspace. Your students prefer the convenience of Webex. Who are you to insist on providing them with inferior customer service by forcing them to be physically present at times that are inconvenient for them?

This.

[Caracal]

Any suggestions?:

I am in one of those Red States that has dictated that masks in public buildings are NOT required. 
Fine.
I am not exactly sure yet what the total ramifications will be.
My Sister In Law is in one of the OTHER red states that makes the news.
At the university she works, you can not require a mask.  (Vaccinated people are not required to wear one, but non-vaccinated ones should).  HOwever, you can not in any way ask for proof, one way or the other.  She reports that faculty are not able to require students to wear masks EVEN in their offices.

That is my problem. I will be required to have in person office hours in the Fall. Fine!.
I have been vaccinated, BUT I have multiple comorbidities.  Even IF I would have 'less critical' reactions to getting sick, it is very likely that I will still have a MORE serious reaction than an otherwise healthy person.

So what do I do?  I will be glad to provide masks to students that want to meet with me in my office, but if they refuse the mask, What do I do?

(Currently, i fear that I will become suddenly nauseous and require to cancel my office hours and go home, where I will be glad to meet with the maskless and other students online/via WebEx.... I think that I can throw up on demand, though Im not sure I have mastered that 'skill'). 

Anyone else facing similar governmental mandates?  What are your contingency plans?

Just say in class on the first day that you have some health conditions which is why you're still wearing masks in small enclosed spaces like offices. Then say something like "Because of that if you want to come to office hours, I would really appreciate it if you could wear a mask, I'll have some at the door in case you don't have one with you. If you don't want to wear a mask for some reason, I'm also going to be having simultaneous zoom hours, that might be more convenient for some of you regardless. If you do want to meet in person, but would prefer to do it without a mask, we could schedule a meeting out at the tables outside the building, or if you just tell me when you'll be there at office hours we could go out then."

Then when students come to office hours politely hand them the mask and just say, "oh would you mind wearing the mask, sorry I know it can be annoying, but I have some health conditions..."

I think its very unlikely with all of that anyone is going to show up at your office and just refuse to wear a mask. Its your space, you are in a position of authority, you are putting it in terms of health. I doubt it will be a problem. If someone really won't wear one, just walk with them to the outside or the atrium or wherever you feel more comfortable.

[Ruralguy]

Most would just not show up, but those that do would probably wear the mask without trouble.
I don't think you have to worry about legalities. No one is going to go after individuals.

[Caracal]

Most would just not show up, but those that do would probably wear the mask without trouble.
I don't think you have to worry about legalities. No one is going to go after individuals.

Yeah, as long as you offer options, you can make requests of people who come in to your office based on medical needs. If you were really allergic to certain kinds of perfumes you could ask a student wearing one if they'd mind meeting outside, for example.

[hmaria1609]

Earlier today, Gov. Hogan announced the health emergency will end in MD July 1st:
https://wtop.com/maryland/2021/06/gov-hogan-md-state-of-emergency-will-end-july-1/
Posted on WTOP Radio (6/15/21)

[downer]

I don't think anyone reported on this yet.
https://www.webmd.com/vaccines/covid-19-vaccine/news/20210623/indiana-university-covid-vaccine-mandate-lawsuit

Seems particularly related to Indiana law.

[mamselle]

I can't recall if it was mentioned above, but I'm seeing several churches of various denominations announcing themselves as town vaccination sites in a couple of places.

That seems wise, it tends to give more support to the program from the ecclesial side of things, might be useful in places where hesitation has been tied to theological non-issues.

M. 

[kaysixteen]

Following up on mamselle's point here, anyone have any experience/ resources, designed to help people convince conservative Christians or other conservative religionists to actually get the damn vax?

[mamselle]

Places to look would be WCC, denominational/confessional group websites, and interfaith clergy group sites.

M.

[apl68]

Following up on mamselle's point here, anyone have any experience/ resources, designed to help people convince conservative Christians or other conservative religionists to actually get the damn vax?

Well, using more diplomatic language would help.

As mamselle notes, you can find resources on various church web sites.  As far as I know, not a single large Christian denomination, liberal, conservative, or otherwise, has come out against any of the vaccines currently used in the U.S., or against vaccination in general.  Pointing out that denominational leaders see nothing wrong with it could be helpful.

I mentioned above that our pastor urged vaccinations in a sermon some time back.  This was an unusual step on his part--he has always tried to stay out of the cultural wars and the sorts of things that so many people have turned into shibboleths.  However, he has always very consistently taught that as Christians we must always remember that our lives are not about ourselves and following our own preferences.  We have to live in a way that shows consideration for others.  Based on this, his reasoning on vaccination went something like this:

We look to God for our protection and our health, and yet we have a responsibility to do whatever we can to protect our health.  We are also responsible for being considerate toward others.  If you depend on God to keep you safe from COVID, then that's very well, but going ahead and getting the vaccine is not a display of unbelief.  If you fear the vaccine, you should remember that God is able to protect you against any problems the vaccine may cause.  If you resent feeling like you're being pushed into doing something--well, it's not all about you and what you want.  Since so many people around us are very deeply worried about COVID, and about others who are not vaccinated, the considerate thing to do is to get vaccinated.  And showing consideration for others always honors God.

I should note that our pastor is not some politically correct "progressive" minister who long ago threw away the Bible in order to stay abreast of the received secular wisdom of the moment at all times.  He is a very conservative, Bible-believing, hellfire-and-damnation (Sometimes--that's part of the New Testament message, not all of it) preacher.  Sometimes following the Bible makes him sound "conservative."  Sometimes it makes him sound "progressive" (He's very uncompromising in his denunciations of racism and bad treatment of immigrants, for example).  Any minister whose statements are predictable in terms of our society's "conservative/progressive" spectrum is probably following some authority other than God's Word.  Its teachings are very much the beat of a different drummer.

[spork]

The Gods help those who help themselves.

Natural selection takes care of the rest.

[kaysixteen]

Forget about any sources from *anything* like the WCC, or any denomination that would be a member thereof.   My pastor, a 65yo guy who has had two *series* of open heart surgeries over the last 15 years, amongst other surgeries and med procedures, refuses to vax, and says so from the pulpit.  I suspect that most congregants have done similarly, and I know of only one couple, both 80+, whom I know to have vaxxed.   I confess I am underwhelmed and am fighting the tendency to think that should pastor or his wife get covid, I will not have much sympathy for them.   They are unambiguously anti-vax, and consume large quantities of propaganda.   They would only listen to sources that come from perspectives/ people, they respect.

[lightning]

Forget about any sources from *anything* like the WCC, or any denomination that would be a member thereof.   My pastor, a 65yo guy who has had two *series* of open heart surgeries over the last 15 years, amongst other surgeries and med procedures, refuses to vax, and says so from the pulpit.  I suspect that most congregants have done similarly, and I know of only one couple, both 80+, whom I know to have vaxxed.   I confess I am underwhelmed and am fighting the tendency to think that should pastor or his wife get covid, I will not have much sympathy for them.   They are unambiguously anti-vax, and consume large quantities of propaganda.   They would only listen to sources that come from perspectives/ people, they respect.

Your pastor is a piece of work. Have you considered leaving that congregation?

Sometimes, people have to learn the hard way.

Unfortunately, there are many young children who are still not vaccinated, all of whom are too young to advocate for themselves.

For this reason, I would not shed a tear, if the delta variant wiped out large swaths of anti-vaxxers.

[Caracal]

Forget about any sources from *anything* like the WCC, or any denomination that would be a member thereof.   My pastor, a 65yo guy who has had two *series* of open heart surgeries over the last 15 years, amongst other surgeries and med procedures, refuses to vax, and says so from the pulpit.  I suspect that most congregants have done similarly, and I know of only one couple, both 80+, whom I know to have vaxxed.   I confess I am underwhelmed and am fighting the tendency to think that should pastor or his wife get covid, I will not have much sympathy for them.   They are unambiguously anti-vax, and consume large quantities of propaganda.   They would only listen to sources that come from perspectives/ people, they respect.

Your pastor is a piece of work. Have you considered leaving that congregation?

Sometimes, people have to learn the hard way.

Unfortunately, there are many young children who are still not vaccinated, all of whom are too young to advocate for themselves.

\

Agree with all the rest of this, but we need to stop using young children as an example of people at particular risk from Covid. They are at very low risk of serious disease. Don't need to scare parents unnecessarily.

[waterboy]

After walking into a Sam's Club yesterday, and seeing the big sign touting free COVID vaccinations, I'm now 100% in the group of no sympathy for those who can get the vaccine, but don't. You're playing Russian Roulette with serious illness and/or death. Good luck.