Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott has been mocked by social media users for expressing exasperation that we may have to get a shot every year to stave off Covid-19, similar to a flu shot.
Mr Abbott has banned vaccine mandates in his state via executive order, a policy he hopes will become state law.
Arguing against mandates on Fox News, he said: “Where does this end? We’re talking about a federal mandate for a shot.
“As you know, there’s waning effectiveness of these shots. Are people going to be required by the federal government to take a shot every single year for the rest of their lives? Americans need to come to grips with the unconstitutional overreach by the Biden administration.”
The Biden administration’s vaccine mandate for employers with more than 100 workers has been submitted to the White House Budget Office for a final review before it is published for public inspection, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said on Wednesday.
On 9 September, President Joe Biden announced his intention to have the Occupational Safety and Health Agency – an agency under the auspices of the Department of Labor that regulates workplace safety – to issue an emergency regulation requiring entities with more than 100 employees to require that those employees be vaccinated against Covid-19 or undergo weekly testing for the virus.
The announcement came after months of administration efforts to encourage voluntary vaccination, but when he unveiled his plan for the mandate, Mr Biden expressed frustration with the significant numbers of Americans who’ve chosen to remain unvaccinated.
“Where does this end? I have to wear a seat belt EVERY time I drive,” Barney Cannon tweeted mockingly of Mr Abbott’s outburst. “Where does this end! I have to go outside EVERY time I smoke! Where does this end? I have to put chemicals in my pool EVERY week. Where does this end? I have to get a colonoscopy EVERY five years.”
“Wait until he discovers that people take certain medications EVERY DAY!!” another Twitter user added.
“I ate lunch yesterday. Are you telling me I need to eat lunch again today? WHEN WILL IT END?” Eric Williams wrote.
“You mean, like the flu shot you take annually Greg? Greg isn’t the brightest bulb on the Christmas tree,” another account holder tweeted.
Jason Rogers called Mr Abbott “a whiny, little charlatan”.
“I love the bulls**t arguments they come up with,” Eric Goldman wrote. “Yes, there is nothing in your life anyone has ever [has] had to do on an annual basis until now.”
