YOUR VACCINATION YOUR BUSINESS
By: Jerry Humphrey III
Citizens across the country have been wasting no time to get their Covid-19 vaccinations as the summer begins. States are slowly opening everything back up and masks are less seen on faces. As of May 29th, about 40% of Americans have been fully vaccinated. So is it fair to ask others if they’ve been vaccinated knowing that 60% of Americans are not fully vaccinated?
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) was created in 1996 and granted citizens protection on their personal health information and from being disclosed without the patient’s consent or knowledge. So any vaccination question violates a person's HIPPA rights. Last week Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James was asked by a reporter if he was fully vaccinated after he allegedly violated NBA protocols for attending an endorsement event. During All-star weekend James was asked the same question and laughed while giving his answer.
“That’s a conversation my family and I will have, I’ll keep that to a private thing,” James said.
The media has always found ways to nitpick celebrities’ lives but asking about personal information is technically breaking the law and morally inappropriate. Based on the numbers of Americans who are fully vaccinated a lot of people have different opinions on the vaccine.
Moreover, corporate America also plays a big role in this matter. Employers are allowed to provide incentives, including cash, to workers who get vaccinated. Employees have the right to get or not to get vaccinated at their leisure.
Everyone wants to put covid behind us so the vaccine is the safest move to go to guarantee protection from the virus. Apart from this, people who are against the vaccine shouldn’t be forced to take it because it’s unlawful. Constant sanitation can help alleviate the germs passed from human interaction. If we continue to spread these healthy habits sharing your vaccination records will not be an issue in the future.
