My dear Sir, the mRNA vaccines have been around for more than a decade. They are safe. And both clinical trial and real world evidence both show that they are very, very effective against COVID-19.

As a physician, I have been mandated to get vaccinated against influenza for years, and those vaccines are pathetically effective (40-60%) and can cause very real, and very dangerous side effects such as Guillan-Barre syndrome (which I have seen personally happen to a patient). No one has ever cried foul. Why is this all of the sudden a travesty that Methodist Hospital system is mandating vaccination?

I think there will be more and more businesses that will mandate vaccination. There is no human right to go to a concert or a cruise or a sports event. Already, many countries mandate vaccination against other diseases, and it will be no different for mRNA vaccines against SARS CoV-2. Now, the question remains about what to do for those who would get vaccinated but can't because of a contraindication? That needs more thought.

In addition, when the FDA "approves" the vaccine, all this means is that is can be marketed by Pfizer and Moderna for the indication of vaccination against SARS CoV-2. It is not like there will be more review of the data or they are going to look at the data with a different level of scrutiny. The data are very good, and we need everyone - who doesn't have a contraindication - to get vaccinated.