The nuance of ‘my body, my choice’

Greg Erlandson’s column “The choices we make,” in the Nov. 5 issue, criticizes those opposed to the vaccine mandates for using the slogan “My body, my choice.”

This slogan has been successfully used by abortion groups, so you can’t blame citizens who are opposed to vaccine mandates for making it their own. 

There are a variety of reasons one may be opposed to the vaccine mandates, but a lot of the disagreement with them seems to have to do with government overreach and the right for people to choose what is best for their families. 

In my case, my husband and I are both vaccinated, yet both of my children have different medical conditions for which they take regular medication. No studies exist regarding the effects and possible cross reactions with certain drugs and the vaccine. We have decided to exercise caution based upon our particular circumstance, as others families surely have, too. 

Hence the problem: The mandates are using a “one size fits all approach” to fix a problem in which there are many variables.

“My body, my choice” does not include the choice of the unborn baby when used in the case of abortion. The fetus has no say in the matter. That is part of what makes abortion so unacceptable. 

If choice is the issue, then we as parents should have the choice to vaccinate our children or not. Adults who have other medical conditions should have that choice too, and certainly without the pressure of possibly losing a job.

— Yadranka Draskovic, El Segundo