VOA慢速英语--美国工人反对疫苗

Workers around the United States who refuse to get vaccinated² against COVID-19 may lose their jobs. Some say they do not want the vaccine³ because of religious concerns. Others say the government should not control what goes into their bodies.

They are objecting to a federal mandate⁴ that requires workers from businesses with at least 100 employees to vaccinate¹ or be tested every week. The mandate also extends to all federal employees and those working with the federal government or government-supported programs.

This week, the Biden administration said the mandate will require workers to receive either two doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines⁵ or one dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine by Jan. 4 or be tested weekly. Employees who test positive must be removed from the workplace.

The federal government says its vaccination⁶ requirements will apply to about 100 million Americans or two-thirds of all U.S. workers. Business and labor⁷ leaders, however, worry that it will hurt the nation's economic recovery if thousands of workers suddenly lose their jobs.

Unvaccinated in Wichita, Kansas

In Wichita, Kansas, nearly half of the roughly 10,000 employees at aircraft companies Textron and Spirit AeroSystems remain unvaccinated against COVID-19.

Two Textron workers who requested religious exemptions⁹ to vaccine requirements said the company asked questions about their religious beliefs and church leaders.

Textron told the Reuters news agency that it has to follow the federal mandate. The company added that workers who are unable to receive the vaccine because of medical or religious reasons were given a chance "to request an accommodation from this requirement."

Cornell Beard is a local labor leader. He said, "We're going to lose a lot of employees over this." Beard said the workers did not object to the vaccine itself. But they are opposed to what they see as government control over personal health decisions.

Beard said the labor group is now hiring lawyers to help the employees. They will prepare possible legal actions if requests for medical or religious exemptions to vaccination are denied.

Is mandate legal?

Health officials said vaccines remain the most effective way to prevent COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths, especially with the spread of the Delta¹⁰ variant¹¹.

Many legal experts have said vaccine mandates¹² in the interest of public health are legal. The U.S. Supreme¹³ Court has rejected several challenges to mandates. Last week, the high court turned away a healthcare worker who sought a religious exemption⁸ to a COVID-19 vaccine mandate.

Still, at a recent protest near Seattle, an employee of plane-maker Boeing called it "illegal, immoral¹⁴ and impractical¹⁵." The worker said, "We are standing¹⁶ together against a company and government trampling¹⁷ on our rights." Some said they would retire early if they have to get the vaccine.

Massachusetts-based Raytheon makes weapons, communications systems and air security devices for the U.S. government. Its leader warned that it will lose "several thousand" employees because of the mandate. Other large companies, including FedEx and UPS, say many of their employees will not be vaccinated in time.

Mercedes-Benz, which also makes cars in the U.S., said it gave employees 90 days to get the vaccine. So far, over half of them have. The company said it expects most of its employees will meet the requirement.

Words in This Story

mandate – n. an official order to do something

dose – n. the amount of a medicine, drug, or vitamin that is taken at one time

positive – n. the result from a test that shows that a particular germ, condition, or substance is present

apply– v. to have an effect on someone or something

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

accommodation – n. the act of providing an opportunity for something to happen

challenge– n. an action, statement, etc., that is against something : a refusal to accept something as true, correct, or legal — often + to

impractical – adj. not easy to do or use : not suitable for the situation

trample– v. to treat other people's rights, wishes, or feelings as if they are worthless or not important

1 vaccinate   

vt.给…接种疫苗；种牛痘

参考例句：

• Local health officials then can plan the best times to vaccinate people.这样，当地的卫生官员就可以安排最佳时间给人们接种疫苗。
• Doctors vaccinate us so that we do not catch smallpox.医生给我们打预防针使我们不会得天花。

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 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。

4 mandate   

n.托管地；命令，指示

参考例句：

• The President had a clear mandate to end the war.总统得到明确的授权结束那场战争。
• The General Election gave him no such mandate.大选并未授予他这种权力。

5 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。

6 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。

7 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

8 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。

9 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

10 delta   

n.（流的）角洲

参考例句：

• He has been to the delta of the Nile.他曾去过尼罗河三角洲。
• The Nile divides at its mouth and forms a delta.尼罗河在河口分岔，形成了一个三角洲。

11 variant   

adj.不同的，变异的；n.变体，异体

参考例句：

• We give professional suggestions according to variant tanning stages for each customer.我们针对每位顾客不同的日晒阶段，提供强度适合的晒黑建议。
• In a variant of this approach,the tests are data- driven.这个方法的一个变种，是数据驱动的测试。

12 mandates   

托管（mandate的第三人称单数形式）

参考例句：

• Individual mandates would require all people to purchase health insurance. 个人托管要求所有人都要购买健康保险。
• While I agree with those benefits, I'm not a supporter of mandates. 我同意上述好处，我不是授权软件的支持者。

13 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

14 immoral   

adj.不道德的，淫荡的，荒淫的，有伤风化的

参考例句：

• She was questioned about his immoral conduct toward her.她被询问过有关他对她的不道德行为的情况。
• It is my belief that nuclear weapons are immoral.我相信使核武器是不邪恶的。

15 impractical   

adj.不现实的，不实用的，不切实际的

参考例句：

• He was hopelessly impractical when it came to planning new projects.一到规划新项目，他就完全没有了实际操作的能力。
• An entirely rigid system is impractical.一套完全死板的体制是不实际的。

16 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

17 trampling   

踩( trample的现在分词 )； 践踏； 无视； 侵犯

参考例句：

• Diplomats denounced the leaders for trampling their citizens' civil rights. 外交官谴责这些领导人践踏其公民的公民权。
• They don't want people trampling the grass, pitching tents or building fires. 他们不希望人们踩踏草坪、支帐篷或生火。