VOA慢速英语--在美国强制接种疫苗后，工人们争相申请宗教豁免

U.S. President Joe Biden announced new rules on September 9 that require certain people to get a COVID-19 vaccination¹. One part of the announcement said businesses that employ 100 people or more must ask their employees to get vaccinated² or require them to show a negative virus test once per week.

The rules will affect about 100 million Americans.

However, Biden also said people may choose not to be vaccinated due to their religious beliefs. This is known as a religious exemption³.

In the days following Biden's announcement, many people began claiming that religious exemption. In Los Angeles, about 2,600 police department employees are claiming the exemption. In the state of Washington in America's northwest, thousands of people who work for the state government are also claiming the exemption.

In Arkansas, so many employees of a hospital are claiming the exemption that the hospital says they are "bluffing⁵."

In the past, not many people used religious beliefs as a reason to avoid vaccinations⁶. But the COVID-19 pandemic is different. Even though the vaccines⁸ are safe, protective and widely available in the U.S., many people do not want to get them. Now people are claiming the religious exemption.

Many religious leaders do not object to the vaccines.

There has been some concern, however, over the cell-line used by the Johnson and Johnson vaccine⁷. The Janssen vaccine uses cells grown in a lab that came from a fetus⁹ in 1985. Johnson and Johnson has said repeatedly there is no fetal tissue in its vaccine.

The Catholic church said it is "morally acceptable" for Catholics to receive vaccines that come from fetal cell research. Pope Francis said not getting a vaccine would be "suicide." He received the vaccine made by Pfizer-BioNTech.

The White House said it understands people may use religion as a reason to refuse the vaccine. However, it argues, if the new rule makes more people say yes, it will save lives.

In the first part of September, about 1,000 people died each day in the United States from COVID-19.

In Los Angeles, Mayor Eric Garcetti said: "we will not tolerate the abuse of these exemptions¹⁰ by those who simply don't want to get vaccinated." People who work for the city must be vaccinated by October 5. A group of police employees who do not want the vaccine is taking legal action.

In the state of Washington, Governor Jay Inslee said state employees may lose their jobs if they are not vaccinated by October 18, unless they receive an exemption. However, receiving an exemption does not guarantee people will stay employed.

The state will decide if people who are not vaccinated can still do their job without putting others at risk.

Other large employers in the U.S., including United Airlines, said people who get an exemption will not be permitted to work until new COVID-19 testing plans are put into effect.

Jackson Lahmeyer is the leader of a church in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He is offering a "religious exemption" form on his church's website. In only three days, more than 35,000 people downloaded the form. They can bring it to their own religious leaders or, if they join the church in Oklahoma and donate money, Lahmeyer will sign it.

"We're not anti-vaxxers. We're just pro-freedom," Lahmeyer said. He added that he does not think it is right for someone to lose their job if they do not want the vaccine.

Words in This Story

negative –adj. not showing the presence of a particular germ, condition, or substance

tolerate –v. to allow (something that is bad, unpleasant, etc.) to exist, happen, or be done

exemption –n. freedom from being required to do something that others are required to do — usually + from

bluff⁴ –v. a false threat or claim that is meant to get someone to do something

1 vaccination   

n.接种疫苗，种痘

参考例句：

• Vaccination is a preventive against smallpox.种痘是预防天花的方法。
• Doctors suggest getting a tetanus vaccination every ten years.医生建议每十年注射一次破伤风疫苗。

2 vaccinated   

[医]已接种的，种痘的，接种过疫菌的

参考例句：

• I was vaccinated against tetanus. 我接种了破伤风疫苗。
• Were you vaccinated against smallpox as a child? 你小时候打过天花疫苗吗？

3 exemption   

n.豁免，免税额，免除

参考例句：

• You may be able to apply for exemption from local taxes.你可能符合资格申请免除地方税。
• These goods are subject to exemption from tax.这些货物可以免税。

4 bluff   

v.虚张声势，用假象骗人；n.虚张声势，欺骗

参考例句：

• His threats are merely bluff.他的威胁仅仅是虚张声势。
• John is a deep card.No one can bluff him easily.约翰是个机灵鬼。谁也不容易欺骗他。

5 bluffing   

n. 威吓，唬人 动词bluff的现在分词形式

参考例句：

• I don't think he'll shoot—I think he's just bluffing. 我认为他不会开枪—我想他不过是在吓唬人。
• He says he'll win the race, but he's only bluffing. 他说他会赢得这场比赛，事实上只是在吹牛。

6 vaccinations   

n.种痘，接种( vaccination的名词复数 )；牛痘疤

参考例句：

• Vaccinations ensure one against diseases. 接种疫苗可以预防疾病。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I read some publicity about vaccinations while waiting my turn at the doctor's. 在医生那儿候诊时，我读了一些关于接种疫苗的宣传。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 vaccine   

n.牛痘苗，疫苗；adj.牛痘的，疫苗的

参考例句：

• The polio vaccine has saved millions of lives.脊髓灰质炎疫苗挽救了数以百万计的生命。
• She takes a vaccine against influenza every fall.她每年秋季接种流感疫苗。

8 vaccines   

疫苗，痘苗( vaccine的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His team are at the forefront of scientific research into vaccines. 他的小组处于疫苗科研的最前沿。
• The vaccines were kept cool in refrigerators. 疫苗放在冰箱中冷藏。

9 fetus   

n.胎，胎儿

参考例句：

• In the fetus,blood cells are formed in different sites at different ages.胎儿的血细胞在不同时期生成在不同的部位。
• No one knows why a fetus is not automatically rejected by the mother's immune system. 没有人知道为什么母亲的免疫系统不会自动排斥胎儿。

10 exemptions   

n.（义务等的）免除( exemption的名词复数 )；免（税）；（收入中的）免税额

参考例句：

• The exemptions for interpretive rules, policy statements, and procedural rules have just been discussed. 有关解释性规则、政策说明和程序规则的免责我们刚刚讨论过。 来自英汉非文学 - 行政法
• A: The regulation outlines specific exemptions for some WPM. 答：该规定概述了某些木质包装材料的特定的例外情形。 来自互联网