BY  MATTHEW MERITT​

Scott Esty at Assemblyman Chris Friend’s office kindly replied to my recent inquiries about an assembly bill that could make the COVID vaccine mandatory. He made me aware of an additional bill that would prohibit mandatory vaccination against COVID. 
 
Mr. Esty, Assemblyman Friend’s chief of staff, noted there is no companion to these bills in the Senate and that January is the earliest further work on them can be done. 

Editor’s Note: Though the Echo is mostly a good-news and features blog, occasionally it will point out general news items worth taking a look at. I haven’t seen this one reported in local news sources yet. 
 
​By MATTHEW MERITT

A bill in Albany could make the new COVID vaccine mandatory, a Buffalo TV news station reported Tuesday (Dec. 8). The decision would rest with state health officials, not with individuals and parents.
 
The WGRZ news article and video are worth a few minutes. It seems if state officials decide at some point the level of immunity in the general population is too low, they may “mandate vaccination for all individuals or groups of individuals who, as shown by clinical data, are proven to be safe to receive” it. That’s apparently language from the bill, which looks to be number A11179.
 
The science behind vaccines is one thing and individual choice is another. What’s worrisome is a quote from the story in which concerns over state overreach into the personal lives of individuals and families seems to be dismissed.