Anti-Vaxers Shut Down LA Vaccinations
As Californians begin to get vaccinated with hopes of diminishing the ongoing pandemic, not everyone has shown support for the inoculation process. Since January 2021, the Dodger stadium in Los Angeles has been converted into a mass vaccination site. This has caused some resistance as people in opposition to the vaccine protest the actions that government officials have taken. On Saturday, Jan. 30, the site was shut down over safety concerns due to the protesters gathered outside.
Cars entering the Dodger Stadium for their scheduled appointments encountered a group of protesters carrying signs. Some of these posters read that COVID-19 is a hoax, and others urged people to save themselves and refuse the vaccine. According to CBS News, the site was only shut down due to security concerns and the situation was peacefully handled. One of the protesters, Jason Lefkowitz, told the Los Angeles Times that, “I want my life back. I want to go to work. I don’t want government checks.”
Despite the nearly half a million Americans who have died of COVID-19 according to the CDC, anti-vaxxers like Lefkowitz maintain that the lockdowns are violating their rights and that getting vaccinated is to give in to fear. The protest at Dodger Stadium is merely one example of the efforts taken to oppose the government’s tactics to suppress the pandemic. Groups of anti-vaxxers have begun to enter stores maskless, despite the mask mandate and have urged others to do the same. These actions against the COVID-19 regulations have caused disruptions in stores, with staff blocking the protesters from entering when they refuse to leave.
With growing resistance to vaccines, many Americans have begun to question the safety of the vaccine. The CDC has released guidelines reassuring Americans that side effects are mild and adverse reactions are rare. They also explain that the vaccine does not give one a live Coronavirus, but rather helps build up immunity. Although science has provided reassurance to the public regarding the safety of the vaccine, the event at the Dodger Stadium illustrates that resistance could continue even as the vaccination displays its potential to bring the pandemic to an eventual close.