In the state of Washington alone, they have lost many state employees due to choosing to not get the mandated vaccine. Around 1,900.

> The new data released by Reykdal's office show that schools statewide lost 470 employees due to the mandate, including about 188 teachers.[1]

> A total of 121 WSF (Ferry workers) employees who chose not to comply with the mandate were fired. As a result, the fleet has been reduced, creating disruptions to the schedule.[2]

> SEATTLE — Seattle Public Schools (SPS) will suspend more than 100 bus routes starting Monday, Oct. 18, due to a shortage of bus drivers that's been exacerbated by the state's COVID-19 vaccine mandate.

> Approximately 142 routes out of the district's 600 total bus routes will be suspended and impact around 6,700 students. However, SPS said because of the irregularity of ridership it's unknown exactly how many students will be impacted.[3]

> After Monday’s deadline for state employees to provide proof of vaccination or face being fired, the Washington State Patrol announced on Tuesday the number of employees it has lost due to the vaccine mandate.

> WSP spokesman Chris Loftis said in a news release that as of the close of business on Monday, 127 employees left employment “for varying reasons and in varying ways.”[4]

I could go on with more examples from that one state, and they're all from the last 2 weeks so very recent. We are firing people - police, hospital workers, fire fighters, bus drivers, etc. - at a time when we already have quite a shortage of those same workers in those professions. A lot of the current people working in those professions are working overtime, to pick up the slack from not having enough workers. They are getting burned out with the additional workload, and grows by the day as this drags on with no relief in sight. Now we take away even more, and are choosing to do so, putting an even greater burden on those who remain. If you live in Seattle, these changes have likely altered your life or someone you know. For instance, maybe you now have no way to get your child to school and have to take more time off of work to be able to do that. Or you sat waiting to get your car across the bay to get to work, but the ferry never came. Or you're waiting on hold for 911 for several minutes instead of seconds while an emergency is in progress, and once you reach them told it will be 15 minutes before someone can get to you. Or you're hearing gunshots in your neighborhood, and that never happened before as crime continues to skyrocket to levels not seen in 50 years. Or you're having to wait even longer for medical treatment while going to the hospital. All of this as a direct result of firing people who aren't "complying." It only takes a few percent from each industry to get fired to really muck up an already fledgling interconnected complex system.

This is just one state. The national mandates are set for next month in November, so we will be seeing more of this except on a national level.

We all have our personal opinions on the mandate. We also know human nature, but I think we have been ignoring it. We know, as we have seen, not everyone will "comply." Right or wrong, it's a fact, and nothing will change it if there is a mandate. If you think there are shortages of products, and food, and transportation delays now, just hold on and hold on tight. It doesn't matter if they are right or wrong, because it will happen and affect you just the same. I don't get the logic. I believe this will be more detrimental in the long run than what it was supposedly trying to prevent.

[1] https://www.king5.com/article/news/education/teachers-school...

[2] https://www.islandsweekly.com/news/unvaccinated-wsf-employee...

[3] https://www.king5.com/article/news/education/seattle-public-...

[4] https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/127-employees-leav...