Articles have been published in the Times Herald voicing displeasure with unmasked and unvaccinated individuals, and attacking our county leaders who uphold our constitutional rights.

One recent article conveyed the opinion of “trusting health experts” when it comes to vaccine and mask mandates. Health experts are like lawyers. Many health experts do not even agree with each other regarding COVID. They all interpret data differently and draw different conclusions as to the path forward.

Other opinions focused on trusting the “safety” of vaccines. However, they ignore the fact that many individuals have conditions in which a vaccine can be detrimental to their health. I have a firsthand account of the vaccine causing a serious, deathly reaction. In addition, many doctors do not recommend it for some of their patients due to many “unknowns.” These individuals are trusting their “health expert’s” advice.

Federal “health experts” keep pushing vaccines. However, they ignore natural immunity to COVID due to prior exposure to the virus. A recent peer-reviewed study done and published in Science Journal found that individuals infected with COVID were “less likely to get the delta variant, develop symptoms or become hospitalized with COVID versus people who have been vaccinated.”

In addition, the study found “children who recover from COVID will remain immune for life.”

In addition, federal “health experts”‘ advice on masking, has been inconsistent and unreasonable. They have changed their recommendations several times depending on which group rattles their cage and wants a different recommendation to satisfy their concerns. This community experienced strict mask requirements last year and institutions still had to close their facilities.

I applaud institutions suing New York state for its tyrannical mandates. New York shows a total lack of regard for the individual valid reasons to remain unvaccinated, attacking and threatening individuals with their livelihoods if they remain unvaccinated.

I am also happy with our county legislature’s decisions and policies to halt the gradual erosion of constitutional rights. This is necessary to protect individual freedoms from New York state’s radical left policies we see impacting personal freedoms more and more each day.

COVID has a 99% survival rate and 70% of New York is vaccinated, yet unconstitutional government mandates continue to grow and threaten our individual freedom of choice about how to protect one’s own health.

Christine Van Horn, Olean