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Poll results

Sponsored by: OTELCO

After Americans were at first quick to roll up their sleeves, vaccination against COVID-19 has become an increasingly divisive issue. In Maine, 71.2% of the population is fully vaccinated, as of Sunday, but those who aren't have been hearing for months why they should be.

The increasing toll of the delta variant and the risk of its spread from unvaccinated Mainers have only amped up the rhetoric — and the seriousness of some public health measures.

Businesses that once encouraged employees to get inoculated are now requiring them to get a shot, or like Delta Air Lines, imposing financial penalties. Workers who expressed initial skepticism about the vaccines have doubled down. Some have even protested the tougher policies.

When Mainebiz polled readers nearly five months ago, three-quarters of those who responded said their businesses would not require employees to receive a COVID vaccine. At the time, newly confirmed cases of the disease were running a little over 200 per day. On Friday, Aug. 27, Maine recorded 415 new cases.

Is your business now considering mandates or penalties in order to get employees vaccinated against COVID-19?
Yes (43%, 159 VOTES)
No (57%, 215 VOTES)
Poll Description

Sponsored by: OTELCO

After Americans were at first quick to roll up their sleeves, vaccination against COVID-19 has become an increasingly divisive issue. In Maine, 71.2% of the population is fully vaccinated, as of Sunday, but those who aren't have been hearing for months why they should be.

The increasing toll of the delta variant and the risk of its spread from unvaccinated Mainers have only amped up the rhetoric — and the seriousness of some public health measures.

Businesses that once encouraged employees to get inoculated are now requiring them to get a shot, or like Delta Air Lines, imposing financial penalties. Workers who expressed initial skepticism about the vaccines have doubled down. Some have even protested the tougher policies.

When Mainebiz polled readers nearly five months ago, three-quarters of those who responded said their businesses would not require employees to receive a COVID vaccine. At the time, newly confirmed cases of the disease were running a little over 200 per day. On Friday, Aug. 27, Maine recorded 415 new cases.

  • 374 Votes
  • 9 Comments

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9 Comments

  • September 1, 2021

    Mandating or penalizing employees due to medical conditions or vaccination is blatant discrimination! The companies that are discriminating against the unvaccinated will be sued.

  • Janet Wilson
    August 31, 2021

    We stay out of our employees private healthcare decisions.

  • Kristin C
    August 31, 2021

    Vaccinated people still spread the virus. Adding 'additional safety measures' to unvaccinated people is absurd. And making an unvaccinated person 'bear the cost of their choice' is equally absurd. We've always made our workplace as safe as it can be and our employees will have the freedom to choose what is best for their health individually. There will never be a one-size-fits-all fix for this virus. We are all doing the best that we can to protect ourselves, our employees and our families.

  • August 30, 2021

    It is not the role of employers to serve as agents of the government.

  • August 30, 2021

    As a healthcare provider and responsible community member, we feel that it is essential that vaccines of this nature should be mandated in most settings. We have been vaccinating our communities for over a century, adding new vaccines as science has advanced providing opportunities to protect our families and our neighbors. The situation with the coronavirus is no different than we previously faced with smallpox, polio, rubella, measles, etc. There is an argument to be made that folks to decide not to vaccine should bear the cost of their choice whatever it may be, i.e., access to workplaces, public transportation, school, restaurants, etc.