They mean if people are not going to die in significant numbers in the short term with no other way to protect themselves, then it's not the government's business.
Once you start dealing with long-term diseases, government has no role in the issue. People can make their own long-term decisions and they have plenty of time to make them and decide for themselves what to do.
The people that make the decisions have to draw a line somewhere.
And the "people that make the decision" in America is We the People, not our Lord High Masters the elected official. They are our servants not our masters.
You need to get your head away from the "government makes decisions for the people" line of thinking. That is not what government is about. Government is the servant of the people. Its function to act according to our will, not to force us to act according to its will.
Get the master-servant relationship straight and all these difficult questions are very straightforward. All you need to do is not be afraid of the concept that individuals are free men who have both the right and the responsibility to make decisions for themselves.
So what is a significant number? Why do avoid that question? Why only short term? If the people are going to die, but it takes years to start and typically years after detection to die, why is that exempted.
Once you start dealing with long-term diseases, government has no role in the issue.
Really? After you find you have cancer, then you get to decide? The vaccine will not stop a HPV infection, it will only prevent it, and only six months at best after the first dose with any dependancy.
We the People, not our Lord High Masters the elected official. They are our servants not our masters.
Each individual could opt out in Texas, as we do for the other vaccines. But for your "imminent public health emergency", it takes an elected official. We agree on that. I am trying to learn what you define as that emergency. Why do avoid that description when you agree there is a situation that would require it?