Texas Governor Issues Executive Order Banning Vaccine Mandates by Any Entity

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Oct. 11 issued an executive order that bans vaccine mandates by any entity in the state, including private employers.

“The COVID-19 vaccine is safe, effective, and our best defense against the virus, but should remain voluntary and never forced,” Abbott said in a statement upon issuing the order.

The executive order (pdf) states, “No entity in Texas can compel receipt of a COVID-19 vaccine by any individual, including an employee or a consumer, who objects to such vaccination for any reason of personal conscience, based on a religious belief, or for medical reasons, including prior recovery from COVID-19.”

“I hereby suspend all relevant statutes to the extent necessary to enforce this prohibition,” Abbott wrote in the order.