
Jeff Coulter receives his first dose of the Pfizer vaccine from Registered Nurse Donna Bauman at the St. Louis Public Library's Central Library in downtown St. Louis on Jan. 21, 2022. - Joseph Cooke/St. Louis Post-Dispatch/TNS
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — The Missouri House approved an anti-vaccination measure Tuesday that could tie the hands of health professionals to address future pandemics. The proposal, sponsored by Republican Rep. Bill Hardwick of Waynesville, would bar governments from being able to mandate a COVID-19 vaccine or future potential medical technologies like microchips placed under someone’s skin. The measure would require private employers, including small business owners, to provide exemptions to any vaccination requirements if an employee has a “sincere” religious belief about the health benefits of ...