Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott announced Monday, October 11, that he was banning all entities in his state, including private companies, from imposing a vaccine requirement on their employees or consumers.
“The Covid-19 vaccine is safe, effective and is our best defense against the virus, but it should always be voluntary and never forced,”
he tweeted.
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In his tweet, the governor released the press release announcing the passed executive order, which states that
"no entity in Texas can compel a person, including an employee or a consumer, to be vaccinated against Covid-19 if she opposes it for a reason of personal conscience, founded on a religious belief, or for medical reasons ”
.
The move comes a month after Joe Biden said vaccination would be mandatory for some 100 million workers, federal government officials and private sector employees.
His announcement sparked an uproar among Republicans who, in the name of individual freedoms, immediately threatened to take legal action.
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Greg Abbott, known to have been fiercely opposed to being required to wear a mask, tested positive for Covid-19 in August, after attending a public indoor event.
The governor is fully vaccinated.
While these decisions against the need for vaccination and the wearing of a mask won him the support of former President Donald Trump's followers, they drew strong criticism from Texas Democrats.
