U.S. Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Huntsville) on Monday sent a letter to officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) requesting that the agency broaden exemptions to President Joe Biden’s COVID-19 vaccine mandates.

In his letter, the congressman cited two cases where constituents experienced adverse reactions upon receiving a COVID-19 vaccine. Under current CDC guidelines, individuals must receive a second dose even if they obtain a doctor recommendation stating it is not in their medical interest to do so, experience adverse reactions unrelated to an allergy, or do not fall under other qualified exemptions. If individuals refuse a second dose, they could risk termination from their jobs as a result.

Brooks advocated that the CDC expand its list of qualified exemptions to mandated COVID-19 vaccination and asserted that the decision to receive a vaccine was “personal” in nature.

“It is wrong for the government to insert itself into a personal healthcare decision, and bureaucrats in Washington have no right to replace a doctor in these decisions,” declared Brooks. “A growing number of Americans are having adverse side effects directly related to their receiving a COVID-19 vaccine. If an individual has an adverse reaction not related to an allergy, or a doctor recommends they do not receive the vaccine, the CDC should recognize these exemptions.”

The North Alabama congressman urged the CDC to recognize individuals’ liberty as opposed to siding with what he referred to as Biden’s “oppressive and dictatorial” edicts.

“As Federal Agencies are looking for guidance on exemption guidelines, the CDC can err on the side of liberty and freedom, or they can side with oppressive and dictatorial mandates that leave no room for the input of doctors dealing with individual patients,” added Brooks. “I urge the CDC to expand their guidelines, and allow American citizens the ability to make the decision best for their own personal health, without having Washington intervene. Lives and livelihoods are at stake, and the American people expect the CDC to set aside partisan politics and do what is right.”

The Biden administration on Saturday suffered a legal setback as the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued a temporary stay on the president’s vaccine decree for businesses that employ 100 or more workers.

Dylan Smith is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @DylanSmithAL