State Sen. Arthur Orr wants to block a forced vaccination, but what comes next?

To vaccinate or not to vaccinate; that is the question.

Personally, I have been looking forward to a potential vaccine for months with optimism and hope.

I thought we would get the vaccine and then return to normalcy.

I want the vaccine to work and was willing to enter a trial to see if it did. I am youngish, I have one child, I am in decent shape, and thought we needed to get it tested.

FULL DISCLOSURE: That trial never came to be.

I have always been a big believer in mitigation efforts. I supported the first (and hopefully only) shutdown order in Alabama under the premise that we need to prepare for what might come next.

We did. We have since reopened and we are seeing more cases. We should continue to quarantine the vulnerable and mitigate as much as we can with masks, social distancing and hand-washing while also getting the state and country back to as normal as possible.

I don’t fault the governor for keeping us masked up. Most Americans agree that helps mitigate the spread.

But what is next? A vaccine? Who will take it?

I would.

But apparently, some are worried that your job might make you take it or that the government might make you take it.

Alabama State Senator Arthur Orr (R-Decatur) says the government should not force you to take the vaccine.

But this bill opens up some interesting doors.

What about doctors, nurses and other health professionals? Should they be able to refuse?

What about teachers? Across the country, and in the mainstream media, we were told that sending kids and teachers to school was a death sentence.

This was wildly untrue, but what now? Should teachers be forced to take the vaccine to return to the classroom?

This seems like something they would want to be a part of — but maybe not.

Should children enrolling in school need proof of coronavirus vaccine added to their already mandated shot records?

Will the legislature create a carve-out for this vaccine?

Can your employer force you to get a vaccine? Effectively they could. You can be fired in Alabama for pretty much anything, and if I am an employer and worried about lawsuits from the public and other employees, maybe I consider that.

On the other side of the issue, U.S. Rep. John Delaney (D-MD) is trying to offer an “incentive” for people to get vaccinated in the form of a $1,500 payment.

Maybe they should tie this vaccine to stimulus funds, and whoever gets a shot gets an extra $1,500.

Is this something Alabama should consider as well?

Surely, more people would get a shot that way, right?

These are just some of the questions that may need to be answered in Alabama and elsewhere as this coronavirus vaccine rolls out.

Senator Orr’s bill addresses people who don’t want the shot to be mandated, but that is only a small piece of this story that has yet to be told.

Dale Jackson is a contributing writer to Yellowhammer News and hosts a talk show from 7-11 AM weekdays on WVNN.