Despite the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s approval of the Pfizer vaccine on Monday, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem will not stand for any vaccine mandates in her state.
Noem took to social media on Monday afternoon to reassure her state’s residents there would be no mandates coming out of her office and she would fight President Joe Biden if he decided to impose a national vaccine mande.
“If President Biden illegally mandates vaccines, I will take every action available under the law to protect South Dakotans from the federal government,” Noem said on her social media account on Monday afternoon.
Earlier this year, Noem also banned “vaccine passports” in South Dakota in action similar to that taken by many of her Republican counterparts.
Michael Pearlman, spokesman for Gov. Mark Gordon, didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment for the Wyoming governor’s thoughts on a potential federal mandate.
However, state health officer Dr. Alexia Harrist reaffirmed in a statement on Monday that there would be no vaccine mandates for Wyoming students returning to school, something Gordon told news reporters last week during a call.
“While there will be no state vaccine mandate in Wyoming, we know promoting vaccination among eligible students, school staff, family members and throughout our communities can help schools stay open and vibrant as well as help keep students and their teachers in the classroom,” Harrist said. “An additional benefit to COVID-19 vaccination is that individuals who are fully vaccinated and identified as close contacts do not need to quarantine, which can be helpful in the school setting.”