KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Missouri Gov. Mike Parson announced Thursday he’s issuing an executive order in opposition of federal mandates surrounding the COVID-19 vaccine.
The executive order calls on all entities within Missouri’s executive branch to “cooperate fully” with an effort by Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt’s pending lawsuit fighting the federal vaccine mandates.
Schmitt announced Wednesday he plans to file suit against the federal government by the end of the week.
The executive order also prohibits executive branch entities from “compelling” any person to take the COVID-19 vaccine if the person objects for religious or medical reasons. The order also prevents executive branch entities from penalizing people or organizations for not cooperating with federal vaccine mandates.
According to the state of Missouri’s COVID-19 vaccination dashboard, 57.8% of the vaccine-eligible population (those at least 12-years-old) have completed vaccination.
"In the State of Missouri, public health decisions are left to the people to either make their own personal decisions or speak through their elected representatives in the General Assembly,” Parson said in a press release Thursday. “The Biden Administration's vaccine mandates undermine and deny Missourians’ their right to make personal health decisions and to speak through their elected representatives."
Parson said he continues to encourage Missourians to take the COVID-19 vaccine.
“We can support vaccination without supporting mandates,” Parson said. “We are issuing this order to protect our system of government and the individual rights of Missourians to make their own health care decisions."
