The top infectious disease expert in the US government, Dr. Anthony Fauci, said on Sunday that he hopes the US Food and Drug Administration will fully approve the plan. Coronavirus disease It is expected that this potential move will trigger a wave of mandatory vaccine requirements in the private sector as well as schools and universities.
The FDA only approved emergency use approvals for Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson vaccines, but the agency expects to fully approve Pfizer soon.
Fauci said that even if you are fully vaccinated, you have to “test” for COVID-19 because the Delta variant is raging
The Biden administration stated that the federal government will not mandate vaccinations for people other than federal workers, but it is increasingly urging state and local governments and businesses to consider such requirements. President Joe Biden’s chief medical adviser, Fauci, said that “a task at the local level needs to be completed” to help contain the spread of the virus.
“I hope_ I don’t predict_ I hope it will happen in the next few weeks. I hope it will be in August,” Fauci said of the FDA approval of the vaccine. “If this is the case, you will see that local companies are empowered. The authorization may be colleges, universities, commercial establishments, etc. I strongly support this. The time has come. …We must take additional measures to get people vaccination.”
Biden recently approved regulations that require federal workers to provide vaccination certificates or regular tests, wear masks, and travel restrictions. Biden is still awaiting official advice from Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin on the possibility of requiring the US military to be vaccinated.
As well-known companies have notified employees that coronavirus vaccination requirements are under development, and some places have adopted or are considering vaccination requirements for indoor dining, the government has become more outspoken in supporting vaccine regulations.
United Airlines informs its employees that they need to be vaccinated on October 25 or within five weeks after the FDA fully approves one of the vaccines-whichever comes first.
Disney and Wal-Mart have announced vaccinations for white-collar workers, and Microsoft, Google and Facebook have stated that they will require employees and visitors to their US offices to provide proof of vaccination. Tyson Foods also announced that it will require all US employees to be vaccinated by November.
There is also resistance.
The US Supreme Court was asked last week to block Indiana University’s plan to require students and employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19. This is the first time the High Court has been asked to weigh vaccine authorizations. At the same time, some companies, states, and cities are also considering or have adopted vaccine requirements for workers or even eating indoors.
Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, said on Sunday that she personally supports vaccination of educators.
“Out of personal conscience, I think we need to work with our employers instead of opposing their mandatory vaccination,” said Weingarten, who estimates that approximately 90% of AFT members have been vaccinated.
The President of the National Institutes of Health, Dr. Francis Collins, almost agreed on compulsory vaccination on Sunday. He said: “I was very happy when I saw the company’s decision to compulsory vaccination for its employees.”
Collins said: “Yes, I think we should use all the public health tools at our disposal when people die.”
Fauci and Weingarten spoke on NBC’s “Meet the Press” program, and Collins appeared on ABC’s “This Week” program.
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