Dam breaks vaccine authorization

He does not need To be like that. This spring, when people lined up to buy the miraculously effective new Covid-19 vaccine, it was easy to imagine a straightforward and swift route to a protected society. The dosage curve seems to be limited only by supply, and the curve looks good – perfectly calibrated Ordinary (At least by some definitions of the word) By the end of summer, just in time for schools and workplaces to reopen. As long as the vaccination rate remains synchronized. Of course not. Too quickly, the curve hit an inflection point, turned away from an uptrend and flattened out. Plus, in most parts of the country people are thrilled and have reopened with masks. Then add a more communicative Delta variant. The result: an unvaccinated epidemic, by its magnitude, can now threaten even people vaccinated twice, thanks to Possibility of breakthrough infection.

This all marks a turning point: in the week the carrot meets the stick, dozens of influential organizations decided it was time for compulsory vaccination.

That’s President Joe Biden’s message this afternoon Announce the rules on vaccines Serving 4 million federal workers. “Now too many people are dying or watching their loved ones die,” he said. These workers will now be faced with a choice: prove they have completed their vaccinations, or get tested once or twice a week, wear masks and face travel restrictions. He said: “We have the tools to prevent the next wave of Covid from shutting down our businesses, our schools and our society,” he added, adding that the government will compensate small businesses that allow workers to take a leave to get vaccinated or to vaccinate their families. , and his government encourages states and local government is offering residents a $ 100 reward. Biden also asked the Department of Defense to investigate how and when members of the armed forces should be vaccinated against Covid-19.

Biden’s statement comes after a series of similar statements from major tech companies, including Google and Facebook, They told tens of thousands of employees across the country that employees returning to the office should be vaccinated and sooner Lots of college tasks, state government And medical center. Last month, after a federal judge dismissed a lawsuit brought by a group of Houston Methodist Hospital employees, those actions were clearer on the legal front. They argued that the regulations were illegal because these vaccines were only approved by the FDA. Authorized for emergency use. Not just employers. Take the example of San Francisco, Most bars and clubs in town Said they will be asking customers for proof starting this week.

Is it ideal to force people to do the right thing for public health? Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo, an epidemiologist who studies health equity at the University of California at San Francisco, says that’s not the case. This is why you try to overcome skeptics by messaging in the first place and Incentives for those who need to promote-As public health officials have been doing for months and will continue to do, she added. But at this critical point in the pandemic, the mission tipping point is good news for her. “We have to use all the tools we can use,” she said. “At this point, this is clearly the right approach, and action is expected to be taken in more places.”

There is already a clear herd effect at work.Vanguard of leaders of hospitals, universities and hospitals state government The initial argument was made that the benefits of protecting their patients and residents from unvaccinated workers outweighed the concerns of individual employees – and clarified that these tasks are legal. good for the business; they have been the weather vane of the Covid culture, leading to the closure of offices in early March 2020. A lot Long-term transition to remote work.