Let's be really clear. I'm looking at results. Portugal and 39 other countries found ways to get their citizens vaccinated more than the US. Clearly, there are many strategies. Are you thinking the US system of government is so ineffective that we are to be satisfied with result worse than 40 other countries?
Yes, I'm frustrated. It is absolutely outrageous for the US to have unvaccinated health workers, first responders, military and school teachers.
Mandates needed to wait until full approval? Is that what other countries did? There is nothing that prevented the US government from doing what some companies did. Many required vaccines. Otherwise the employee would be given assignments on a different floor from the vaccinated. And just BTW, employers are well within the law to require vaccines, with or without full approval. There could have been N95 mask requirement for federal workers, contractors and the military. Lots, lots more could have been done.
But, we are where we are, throwing our hands up and saying that the US is simply incapable of dealing with a virus as well as Portugal and the 39 others.
Yes, I'm frustrated. It is absolutely outrageous for the US to have unvaccinated health workers, first responders, military and school teachers.
Mandates needed to wait until full approval? Is that what other countries did? There is nothing that prevented the US government from doing what some companies did. Many required vaccines. Otherwise the employee would be given assignments on a different floor from the vaccinated. And just BTW, employers are well within the law to require vaccines, with or without full approval. There could have been N95 mask requirement for federal workers, contractors and the military. Lots, lots more could have been done.
But, we are where we are, throwing our hands up and saying that the US is simply incapable of dealing with a virus as well as Portugal and the 39 others.
I am baffled by your post, particularly the lead line of your conclusions "Biden isn't doing enough to get citizens vaccinated." because it ignores almost entirely the so-called mandate that has received enormous attention in the RW/Conservative/GOP media, social, and political circles for the last few weeks. (Including a number of posts already on this thread.) Only the last line I quoted shows any awareness of this plan.
Let me start with the OSHA thing. The president issued an order to OSHA to create a rule. It is then up to OSHA to create the rule under the laws and procedures for the agency. Other than keep an eye on it so that OSHA remains on task, there is nothing the White House can do, no extra resources they can add.
The second thing is that we shouldn't have expected any federal mandates until after there was a fully approved vaccine. (And there weren't) Until then they made the vaccines widely available; (to which you seem to agree) tried persuasion of a general sort; tried outreach to recalcitrant groups (including conservatives); and implemented programs to improve access for groups that had reduced access (mobile clinics, extended hours clinics, community pop-up clinics, etc.)
Once full approval was granted, the DOD ordered all active duty personnel to get vaccinated the next day. I wish they'd followed up with in a wee and applied that mandate to all federal employees and then a week later all federal contractors, and a week later all personnel at Medicaid/Medicare funded clinics. This would have brought us to roughly when the president made his announcement for all of those plus the OSHA large workplace requirements.
They seem to be contemplating a vaccine requirement for commercial air travel, I wish they'd do that. (It might be working it's way through the FAA procedures.)
I suspect there are a few more latent powers to require vaccinations. One that comes to mind would be the staff of schools receiving certain federal funds. This might also apply to university staff and perhaps recipients of federal financial aid.
Frankly none of these are impacted by attempts by the White House to pass certain non-COVID legislation, pursue other policy goals, or nominate people to federal offices and judgeships. The president has a lot of aids.
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