Grand Traverse County Commissioners voted Wednesday morning on a resolution to limit the county health department’s ability to promote the COVID-19 vaccines.
Last week, Commission Chair Rob Hentschel announced the resolution. It prevents the health department from promoting the vaccine, and mandating employees get the vaccine. The board will also be emailing copies of the resolution to the 3,143 counties in the United States as they consider their own mandates.
Chairman Hentschel says he introduced the resolution after learning about the adverse effects some people had due to the vaccine.
“I don’t want to scare anybody and say it’s deadly, it’s going to kill you, but it made me very aware that every person’s medical situation is unique to them,” he said.
All but one commissioner voted yes on the resolution.
“We’re out of our lane,” says Betsy Coffia, Grand Traverse County Commissioner for District 1. “We’re out of our lane and it could have very negative consequences because of our hubris that we think we score some political points for sending it to all 3,000 counties in the country.”
The Board commends the Grand Traverse County Health Department for their work during the pandemic. They will now have to change their messaging regarding vaccines, but they say it won’t affect the way they do their job.
“We don’t believe this limits our capabilities, our abilities or our duty to the community in any way,” says Mike Lahey, Grand Traverse County Health Dept. Emergency Preparedness Coordinator. “We acknowledge that we’ll have to adjust some messaging moving forward, but we will still be there as a resource to the communities.”
Public comment went from 8 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. with comment from county and non-county residents.
One resident, a veteran, said, “when you say that claiming personal freedoms is selfish, you dishonor the veterans who were willing to put their lives on the line for it.”
Another resident, a retired healthcare professional was against the mandate. He asked how many people attending the meeting, wearing masks, were vaccinated. He also asked how many people not wearing masks were vaccinated.
“Where is your responsibility to your fellow man? How many kids with asthma, how many people with COPD, how many people who are immunocompromised are going to die due to their irresponsibility?”
The resolution states that as elected officials, the Grand Traverse County Board of Commissioners swore an oath to support the United States Constitution, ordained and established to, “promote the general welfare and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity.”
It also says that they support citizens’ rights to be informed about the risk and benefits of vaccines, but also maintaining that choices surrounding their health are the right of the individual.
Grand Traverse County messaging related to the vaccine will encourage people to discuss the risks and benefits with their doctors or healthcare providers.
County will not mandate employees are vaccinated or that they wear masks but the resolution is not exempt from following state and federal mandates.
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