A union representing Denver police officers released a statement saying officers “can be trusted with their own personal decisions” after Democrat Mayor Michael Hancock announced a public health order requiring all city employees to get vaccinated against COVID-19 by the end of September.
“As to the Mayor’s current health order, the Denver Police Protective Association respects and trusts our members with their own choices on how to maintain their health, the health of their families, and the health, safety and welfare of the citizens of Denver in a profession that exposes them on a daily basis to violent criminals, as well as multiple contagious and infectious diseases prevalent in our community,” the statement said. “Health and safety has been and always will be a core value and personal commitment to every officer serving the community. Our members can be trusted with their personal decisions.”
“The city government will verify the vaccination status of its employees, including first-responders, said Mike Strott, a spokesperson for the Hancock administration. While the city does not yet have a comprehensive verification system set up, Strott said that the vaccination cards provided by medical professionals after both shots would be acceptable forms of proof,” Denverite reported. “It’s not clear how many Denver police officers are vaccinated. Department of Public Safety spokesperson Kelli Christensen said in an email the department has not been tracking vaccination figures for police, fire and sheriffs because up until his week, vaccinations were not required for them. Christensen said the department won’t have accurate numbers until staff submit proof of vaccination by September 30.”
Mandating COVID-19 vaccines has been particularly controversial because they were authorized under the Emergency Use Authorization and have not yet been fully approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
However, the Pfizer vaccine is expected to be fully approved by the FDA in September. According to recent polls by the Kaiser Family Foundation, three out of 10 unvaccinated people said they would be more likely to get a fully approved vaccine.
