Health officials, legislators speak out against vaccine mandates

Oct. 26—EAU CLAIRE — Melissa Clyde, a health care worker, said she suffered negative side effects from vaccinations required by her employer in 2008, 2009, and 2010. The final time she got a shot, she had trouble walking days later.

"I was hospitalized and scared to death," Clyde told a crowd numbering 200 people outside of Mayo Clinic Health System hospital in Eau Claire on Monday. "This is part of my background I never thought I'd have to share publicly."

Clyde said she took unpaid time off of work a few months ago when she was exposed to someone who had COVID-19. She was informed she couldn't return to work immediately because she wasn't vaccinated. She eventually submitted her letter of resignation Oct. 11, saying she knew a vaccine mandate was coming.

"It looks like this is the end of my nursing career," Clyde said as she fought back tears. "I've never cried as hard as I did that day."

Clyde was among several speakers at the event Monday, who all stressed they weren't anti-vaccine, but instead are against vaccine mandates.

Rebecca Kleefisch, a Republican and former Lt. governor, who is now running for governor against Democratic incumbent Tony Evers, was critical of Evers for not fighting against coming vaccine mandates from the federal government.

"In the middle of a worker shortage, Tony Evers has been absolutely silent about this unconstitutional vaccine mandate," Kleefisch told the crowd. "As your governor, I will sue the federal government to stop any unconstitutional vaccine mandates."

Kleefisch said, as a cancer survivor, she felt it was the right choice for herself to get vaccinated. But she added that government has no business requiring it.

"OSHA has no business getting in your business," Kleefisch said.

Derrick Van Orden, a Republican seeking the Third Congressional Seat currently held by retiring Democra"t Ron Kind, opened his speech by stressing that he is pro-vaccine and anti-mandate. He said the Joe Biden administration is destroying the economy by ordering small mom-and-pop stores to close while big box stores were accallowed to stay open. He said government should not get between Americans and their doctors.

"This is not a Republican issue, this is not a Democrat issue. This is an American freedom issue," Van Orden said.

Van Orden fears more Americans will quit their jobs rather than submit to government-required vaccinations.

"This unconstitutional vaccine mandate is going to further exacerbate our supply chain issues," he said.

State Rep. Clint Moses, R-Menomonie, said the Legislature saw these types of mandates coming.

"We came up with bills to try to stop it," Moses said.

Brian Westrate, the treasurer for the state's Republican Party, told the crowd that "vaccines don't really work either," citing reports of deaths in England among vaccinated people.

"It's their decision."

Chippewa County Public Health Director Angela Weideman acknowledged that people have the right to make their own medical decisons, but she had concerns about their viewpoints.

"But when it comes to a communicable disease that can affect others, it is important to get a high number of people vaccinated," Weideman said.