Elementary Students Also Oppose 'Vaccine Pass' in Blue House Petition... "Losing the Right to Pursue Happiness"

"Vaccinating Vaccine Opponents Is Oppression"

At the entrance of a karaoke room in Jongno-gu, Seoul, a notice stating that only fully vaccinated individuals are allowed entry is posted.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] Recently, a high school sophomore posted a petition opposing the government's vaccine pass (vaccination certificate and negative test confirmation system) policy, gaining the support of over 300,000 citizens. Now, an elementary school sixth grader has also posted a petition against the vaccine pass.

The petitioner, who introduced themselves as a sixth grader living in Gyeonggi-do, posted a petition titled "Oppose the Vaccine Pass" on the 8th. As of 8 a.m. on the 10th, this petition had received over 3,600 endorsements.

The petitioner opened by saying, "Despite more than 300,000 citizens agreeing with the opinion of a high school senior who recently posted against the vaccine pass, I want to raise a protest against the government’s strong enforcement of the vaccine pass."

They pointed out, "When With-Corona was implemented and students were fully returned to school, many students were confirmed positive. Nevertheless, trying to force vaccination on those opposed to vaccines is oppression."

The petitioner cited human rights violations, hardships faced by self-employed individuals, and difficulties in establishing causality for vaccine side effects as reasons for opposing the vaccine pass.

They criticized, "The vaccine pass infringes on basic human rights. Among those unvaccinated, many are now students. Many unvaccinated students do not want to be vaccinated. If these students are restricted from attending academies and other activities starting February, naturally, they will harbor dissatisfaction."

They further argued, "If there had been a teenager closely related to someone involved in the vaccine pass regulations, the government’s choice would not have led to this kind of vaccine pass."

Photo by Cheong Wa Dae National Petition Board screen capture.

Additionally, they said, "The vaccine pass will make self-employed people suffer again. Since most students have not yet been vaccinated, if academies and private activities are restricted from February, businesses related to these, such as academies and restaurants, will inevitably face difficulties." They added, "Academies will inevitably suffer financial losses due to the majority of students not attending because they are unvaccinated."

Moreover, the petitioner stated, "Those responsible for vaccine side effects should be individuals, not the government. So far, the side effects from vaccines have been borne entirely by the citizens, that is, the vaccinated individuals themselves. Similarly, even if students experience side effects after vaccination, the government will not take responsibility."

They continued, "Most students refuse vaccination because of side effects, but can the government fully take responsibility for all side effects experienced by students forced to vaccinate due to the strict vaccine pass regulations? Also, precious lives could be endangered by side effects. No matter how much responsibility the government claims to take, to what extent will it actually do so? I believe there is no real solution other than financial aid. Life and money are different."

In conclusion, they said, "Most students opposing the vaccine pass do not want the vaccine, but due to the government’s strict regulations, they are losing their right to pursue happiness. I oppose the vaccine pass because it infringes on human rights, affects self-employed people, and the government cannot take responsibility for vaccine side effects."

Earlier, the government announced that due to the increased risk of COVID-19 among adolescents, the vaccine pass would be applied to those aged 12 to 18 starting February 2022. This means that entry to multi-use facilities will be restricted unless individuals have completed COVID-19 vaccination or tested negative via polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests.

In response, Yang Daerim, a high school senior who runs the YouTube channel "Yang Daerim Research Institute," announced in a recent press release, "Along with 452 citizens and attorney Chae Myungseong as a proxy, we plan to hold a press conference at 2 p.m. on the 10th in front of the Constitutional Court main gate."

After the press conference, they plan to file a constitutional complaint against the government and the governors of 17 cities and provinces nationwide regarding the recently expanded vaccine pass. They also intend to apply for a provisional suspension of the vaccine pass’s effect at the Constitutional Court as early as next week.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.