A vaccination requirement will protect seniors

December 10, 2021

Dear Resident,

As we all face down the possible emergence of a new COVID variant, we can be confident in our ability to manage through if we keep following best practices — including ventilation, masking in certain settings, testing, vaccinations, boosters. (Schedule your booster appointment here.)

Most people can be confident that they are protected once vaccinated. As the New York times reported, data from King County Washington shows that the risk of hospitalizations remains very, very low for younger age cohorts that are vaccinated. And soon we will have anti-viral pills in addition to monoclonal antibodies.

For seniors, however, and those with higher medical risks, there continues to be some elevated risk even after being vaccinated. That is why we must stamp out transmission, so that we can all — including our seniors — return to normalcy.

Our vaccination rate is very high, and as the Washington Post detailed, our death rate is relatively low. But there are still many unvaccinated people. And the pandemic continues to burn.

One way that we can increase our vaccination levels is through employer requirements. I continue to believe that we must require County employees to get vaccinated, with necessary medical and religious exemptions. Unfortunately the legislation several of us have proposed to do just that is facing resistance from the leadership of the employee unions (though not in the schools) and the County Executive.

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Vaccines for kids aged 5-11

November 4, 2021

Dear Resident,

As you have probably seen, the FDA and CDC have approved the first COVID-19 vaccine for children aged 5-11. Beginning this week, limited doses will be available through County clinics and private providers, with more doses available each week. Doses are allocated to local governments and private providers by the State of Maryland, based on our State’s allocation from the federal government.

Here is a list of private providers who are administering the vaccine to this age group. For more information about the County’s plans and to sign up for an appointment at one of the County’s clinics, you can visit this website. Appointment sign-ups began last night, November 3. As more doses become available, the County will schedule more clinics, including school-based clinics in partnership with MCPS.

As we have throughout the pandemic, my council colleagues and I will be watching closely to ensure that limited doses are made available across the County as efficiently and equitablely as possible.

As we prepare to gather for the holidays, please stay safe and protect those around you by getting vaccinated!

Sincerely,
Hans

Yes, vaccinations should be required for County employees

October 21, 2021

Dear Resident,

President Biden and national health advisors are strongly urging employers to adopt vaccination requirements. They say requirements are a critical policy to make workplaces safe and finally get COVID under control.

Here in Montgomery County, we are discussing legislation I have introduced with Councilmembers Jawando and Albornoz to require County employees to get vaccinated as a condition of employment (with certain limited exemptions). MCPS already has the requirement, which their unions supported.

We introduced the law because we are concerned that the County Executive’s “vax or test” approach is too weak or ineffective.

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Statement from Councilmember Hans Riemer on Vaccine Requirement for County Employees

October 19, 2021

Statement from Councilmember Hans Riemer
on Vaccine Requirement for County Employees

Since the beginning of this pandemic, I have been incredibly proud to serve on this Council. As a body, we have been laser focused on saving as many lives as possible, and minimizing the damage to our community. Time after time, we have stepped in to address shortcomings in the County’s response to make sure that it was fast enough, robust enough, and served all Montgomery County residents.

Our County workforce has done incredible work under terribly difficult circumstances to keep our community safe. But COVID is not done with us yet, and we can’t throw in the towel. Employees, their families, and all County residents are still at risk.

So I am deeply disturbed that the County Executive is resorting to scare tactics, rather than standing strong as many Mayors and Governors are doing across the Country in the face of anti-vaccine resistance.

And I am disappointed that certain union leaders, here in Montgomery County, would engage in right-wing conspiracy theories and attack my family, just to try to stop a vaccine requirement that would keep their own members safe. Their advocacy stands in stark contrast to the school employee unions, which have embraced a vaccination requirement.

I want to address this deranged conspiracy theory head on. Yes, as I have disclosed each year on my financial disclosure, my wife works for Pfizer. She is amazing and I am so proud of her. No, this vaccination requirement has absolutely nothing to do with her job and my family will not see a dime as a result of it. That’s because Pfizer has said they will manufacture 3 billion doses this year and 4 billion doses next year. The federal government has already agreed to purchase 600 million doses. A few hundred additional vaccinations is a drop of water in an ocean.

This County is known for good government, and I take my responsibility to uphold that standard very seriously, so I asked the Ethics Commission for an opinion and they have confirmed that there is no conflict. The opinion states: “The Commission concludes that the County’s vaccine policy does not impact the company. As a consequence, the bar of 19A-11 does not prohibit the Councilmember from participating in matters relating to whether the County should impose a COVID-19 vaccine mandate.”

The full Ethics Commission Advisory Opinion is available here: https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/Ethics/Resources/Files/pdfs/A21-10-017%20FINAL.pdf