We have the tools to stem a surge in new cases, but we must act now with urgency – and that means stepping up efforts to increase immunization rates in the country. all age groups, using a range of strategies including broad vaccine mandates such as Biden Administration requirements for businesses employing more than 100 workers to have employees vaccinated or tested weekly check.
Unfortunately, last week, the US Court of Appeals for the 5th lap confirm former of Biden’s new vaccine mission. In response, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration has temporarily suspend the enforcement of the rule is set to go into full effect on January 4. The court’s decision is ill-advised and risks unnecessarily prolonging the pandemic in the United States.
In spite of nearly 196 million Americans Now fully vaccinated, this represents only 59% of the US population. Although there are vaccines readily available in the country for more than six months, 30% of adults are not fully immunized. It is not clear what proportion of the population must be vaccinated to achieve herd immunity, but Belgium currently has one of the highest rates of Covid-19 disease in the world despite having completely immunized 74% of the population. Germany immunizes 10% more of its population than the United States but Seven-day morbidity hits a record 336.9 cases per 100,000 people this week, up from 249.1 cases reported last week.
As countries in Europe see an increase in cases, the World Health Organization says “very worry” and marks that, at the current rate, an additional 500,000 deaths could be recorded in March. A winter spike in Covid-19 cases is expected as the virus spreads more easily as people spend more time indoors, but the magnitude of the spike is expected. This latest mutation will be determined by the level of vaccination in the community and we have to do better.
In just 11 months, the United States has managed to administer more than 437 million doses vaccines, a remarkable achievement, but with more than 100 million people still unvaccinated, immunity levels aren’t nearly high enough to stave off a new wave of mutations. In the past 14 days, cases in the US have increased by 17%, now averaging more than 85,000 cases per day. Hospitalizations and deaths are still falling, but the rate of decline is slowing and may soon start to increase again.
To prevent a big winter Covid-19 spike, we must first immunize millions and do it quickly. Latest Kaiser . Family Foundation Poll found that 20% of American adults said they would definitely not get the vaccine or would only get it if asked. For many in this staunchly protestant minority, only a single task related to their work has the power to change their mind.
Vaccine mandates are not new to the United States. All 50 states, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia make vaccinations mandatory for school children. US Department of Defense ordered 17 different vaccines for military personnel. Many health care facilities require an annual flu shot for all employees.
The US Supreme Court has previously ruled in favor of a vaccine mandate. Write for the majority in Jacobson sues Massachusetts in 1905, advocate of the state’s smallpox vaccine requirement, Justice John Marshall Harlan Written“But, the liberties guaranteed by the Constitution of the United States of America to everyone within his or her jurisdiction do not confer an absolute right for each person, at all times and in all circumstances, to be completely freed from restraint. .” Harlan continued, “True freedom for all cannot exist under a principle that recognizes each individual’s right to his own use, whether in respect of his person or property. them, regardless of injury it may cause to others.”
Earlier this month, a federal judge in Texas maintaining United Airlines’ Covid-19 vaccination mission, and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission said that Federal anti-discrimination laws do not prohibit employers from requiring vaccines for tenants.
Early experience with Covid-19 vaccine assignments shows that when faced with a choice between complying with the vaccine and losing their job, nearly all employees choose to get vaccinated. After United Airlines required all employees to be vaccinated, 99.5% of employees working in the US comply with the policy. As of November 1, 93% to 99% of members of the military service have been vaccinated. The percentage of New York City firefighters who received at least the first dose of the vaccine jumped six points over the past week, and 27 percentage points since Mayor Bill de Blasio announced the mandate on October 19.
However, speaking on the US Court of Appeals decision on the 5th Circuit in New Orleans affirming Biden’s mandate, Judge Kurt Engelhardt Written, “The mission is a one-size-fits-all sledgehammer, barely trying to explain workplace differences.” Using political language, the judge continued, “The public interest is also served by upholding our constitutional structure and preserving the freedom of individuals to make decisions. strong individuals according to their own beliefs – even or perhaps especially when those decisions disappoint government officials.”
There are a number of other pending regulatory actions that also seek to block the national vaccine mandate, some focusing on whether OSHA, has created by Congress to ensure “safe and healthy working conditions and preserve our human resources” went beyond its charter. It seems likely that the fate of the administration’s vaccine mandate will ultimately be decided by the Supreme Court. As we continue to face a highly contagious and deadly pathogen, time is of the essence.
While the Court’s decision is uncertain, it is clear that if we are to win this pandemic, more people must be vaccinated. The immunization mandate is an important public health tool that has been shown to significantly increase vaccine compliance. On Thursday, the American Medical Association and more than 60 other groups urge national employers voluntarily implement the Biden Administration’s vaccine mandate plan. It is hoped that the Supreme Court will quickly decide if the mandate for widespread vaccination is constitutional, and ultimately if we are a nation for all, not all for one.
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