Abstract
<p>We live in a divided culture, and one aspect of that division is reflected in the debate over Covid-19 vaccinations—should citizens be free to refuse vaccinations when (i) consensus science indicates their efficacy in prevention of Covid infection, and (ii) vaccinations arguably are the keys to ending the pandemic and to economic recovery? With respect to travel, admission to large entertainment venues, or, my own focus, attendance at sports events, the question becomes whether those who voluntarily refuse vaccinations should be allowed to participate. The purpose of this essay is to argue that the NFL should have required vaccinations of all attendees of the 2021 season football games, even if it meant moving games away from those states that prohibit vaccine mandates (which prohibitions may not, however, survive legal challenges). To explain the NFL’s reluctance, I locate my argument in the context of the current cultural divide in the U.S., and especially the phenomenon of vaccine hesitancy. Faced with these, the NFL chose the easier route—ignoring the culture wars, persistent vaccine hesitancy, and public health.For some, my argument is common-sensical and uncontroversial, while others see a host of problems if the NFL would have adopted such a policy—state laws forbidding vaccination mandates, enforcement problems, how to handle exemptions, expensive protocols and logistics, and angering the fan base. In the course of this essay, I confront those and other objections, and defend my argument on the basis of public health concerns. I also highlight the numerous governmental and private employers, as well as many sports teams and arenas, that adopted vaccine mandates during the fall football season, showing that any NFL worries over enforcement and exemptions would have been shared with others—solutions would have also been shared. Moreover, any expense that the NFL would have had to bear is not unlike the numerous losses experienced throughout the pandemic by the major professional leagues, college sports, and even the 2021 Olympics organizers.</p>