The COVID-19 vaccines have not received final approval. We are conducting one globe-wide medical experiment with powerful new vaccine technology.

I developed a burning, itchy rash over most of my body after the first shot, which – four weeks later, after oral and topical steroidal treatments and mega doses of antihistamines – is only now abating. My allergist has said it was a significant adverse reaction to Moderna and I should not get the second shot.

The idea that we would condition civil “liberty” and the “pursuit of happiness” on carrying a card showing the use of vaccines that have not received FDA approval is a big step toward totalitarianism. I am not an anti-vaxxer; I support public health measures and encourage all, who can, to get vaccinated. However, freedom to choose not to inject a substance in your body is a fundamental value. It will cause lasting damage to our democracy and civil liberties if we leave this freedom by the wayside.

My body, my choice, is not just a value in reproductive rights, it is a value for all times.

Mary Ann Lynch
Cape Elizabeth

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