Maeve Higgins: Resistance to vaccines leaves US in critical state

Political leanings can make US citizens act against their own best interests, but when the Governor of Texas signed an executive order prohibiting cities and government entities there from enacting vaccine requirements or mask mandates, it stunned me, writes Maeve Higgins

President Joe Biden: "People are dying and will die who don’t have to die. If you’re out there unvaccinated, you don’t have to die." Photo: AP/Susan Walsh

I love living in New York City because I can get a bowl of matzo ball soup at 1am after catching a jazz show on my way to a sleepover at the Natural History Museum. Please understand I’m quite shy and lazy so I’ve never done that, but in theory it’s all possible! 

This week made me love the city even more, when mayor Bill de Blasio announced the first government-issued mandate in the US requiring proof of Covid-19 vaccination for people taking part in indoor activities in the city. Workers and customers of indoor restaurants, gyms, and entertainment and performance venues will require patrons to show a vaccination card or a city or state vaccination “pass” or they will be denied entry.