Tim Vandenack, Standard-Examiner

PLEASANT VIEW — The COVID-19 pandemic and vaccinating took center stage at a town hall meeting held by U.S. Rep. Blake Moore.

The lawmaker, responding to queries and comments put to him by those attending, expressed opposition to vaccine mandates, like the one ordered by President Joe Biden for firms with more than 100 employees. “Mandates only make it so people don’t want to comply,” Moore said.

He expressed support for putting more focus in the debate over vaccinating on “natural immunity” — the natural defenses built up in those who have survived the COVID-19 virus. “It needs to be appreciated. It needs to be embraced,” said the Salt Lake City Republican.

But he’s probably not going to be able to create wiggle room to allow use of ivermectin in treating COVID-19, the focus of one town hall participant’s query. “If your doctor is not able to, that’s going to be tough for me to go and change what your doctor can prescribe,” he said.

Around 75 people attended Tuesday evening’s town hall, held at Weber High School in Pleasant View, one of several around the 1st District. Moore was to hold another on Wednesday in Layton. The issues discussed ranged from renewable energy to the federal deficit. But COVID-19 and the government response to the pandemic were particularly big focuses.

Tim Vandenack, Standard-Examiner

Many asked questions related to COVID-19 and their tone was largely skeptical and critical of the fight on the virus as waged by U.S. health officials and the Biden administration.

“I don’t care what the (Federal and Drug Administration) says. I don’t care what the (National Institutes of Health) says, they lie to Congress. I don’t care what the (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) says because they’re not basing guidance on science,” said one woman. She asked Moore to look into easing access to ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine to contend with COVID-19.

Vaccine mandates coming down from the feds — for U.S. service members and, more recently, on businesses with more than 100 employees — were a particular point of ire. A federal judge last Saturday halted implementation of the mandate on businesses put forward by Biden in an executive order, at least for now.

“The COVID tyranny needs to end,” said one man.

Another man expressed concern his wife would soon lose her federal job for not agreeing to get vaccinated. She doesn’t have the option to regularly test for the virus instead.

Tim Vandenack, Standard-Examiner

Moore responded, saying he’d favor a “three-tiered option” in dealing with COVID-19 at the workplace. Vaccination would be one option, testing for COVID-19 would be the second and implementation of some sort of “immunity test” to gauge a person’s natural immunity to the virus would be the third.

“We could get past where we’re at and it would bring us together instead of tearing our communities apart,” Moore said. “That’s what I want.”

Another woman expressed skepticism altogether about vaccinating. “Had we not vaccinated, we probably would be out of this pandemic. So this seems like a pandemic that is forever going on and I just want to say, what are you going to do?” she said.

Moore drew the line at vaccine mandates, particularly the mandate applicable to companies. “We need to be able to avoid the sweeping executive action and mandates. Is it encouraging enough people to get the vaccine if you force it? Like I said, it’s going to have the opposite effect,” he said.

But with the criticism among Tuesday’s meeting-goers so fierce toward U.S. government efforts to stop COVID-19, he indicated there are limits to what he can do.

“I represent you, just communicate what it is we can do about this. If it’s above and beyond what we are doing, we will find an avenue to continue to do that,” he said. “But we’ve made statements about it, we’ve pushed back on it.”

At the same time, he said he’s “very supportive” of the COVID-19 vaccine. “I think it’s proven to be safe and effective,” Moore said.

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