Texas' Republican governor Gregg Abbott has said he is banning Covid-19 vaccine mandates for any entities in his state, including private companies. "I issued an Executive Order prohibiting vaccine mandates by ANY entity in Texas," the governor wrote on Twitter. "The Covid-19 vaccine is safe, effective & our best defense against the virus, but should always remain voluntary & never forced," he said.
The tweet included an attachment of the press release announcing the executive order, which stipulated that "no entity in Texas can compel receipt of a Covid-19 vaccination by any individual, including an employee or consumer, who objects to such vaccination for any reason of personal conscience, based on a religious belief, or for medical