New Vaccination Requirements
His plan requires that all employers with 100 or more workers must now ensure that their workers are vaccinated or tested weekly. All federal worker and millions of contractors that do business with the federal government must also be inoculated against the coronavirus. The more than 17 million healthcare workers at Medicare- and Medicaid-participating hospitals and other healthcare settings will also need to get their shots. Furthermore, Biden called on large entertainment venues to require vaccination proof or testing for entry, and for employers to provide paid time off for vaccination.
Booster Shots for Those Already Vaccinated
Pending decisions from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and CDC, the administration intends to forge ahead with plans to offer booster shots for all Americans beginning September 20. The FDA is scheduled to meet this Friday to discuss Pfizer-BioNTech’s application for a COVID-19 booster.
Keeping Schools Safely Open
Biden stressed that a top priority is to keep schools open, and said that the most important step parents can take is to get the vaccination for their adolescents ages 12 and above who are eligible. “For those too young to be vaccinated, it is especially critical that they are surrounded by vaccinated people and mask in public indoor spaces, including schools,” said Biden. The FDA is undergoing a process now to evaluate a vaccine for children under the age of 12, and under the President’s plan, the administration will do whatever it takes to support those efforts, while continuing to respect and defer to the scientific decision-making of the agency. Among other points in the school safety portion of the plan is a call for all states to adopt vaccine requirements for all school employees.
Increased Testing and Masking Requirements
The president emphasized how testing and masking can help as we still battle the spread of the virus. The White House detailed actions to make at-home testing and pharmacy testing more readily available. Masking will continue to be required on federal property and for interstate travel.
Protecting the Economic Recovery
Biden will continue to focus efforts on jumpstarting the economy, underscoring the record job growth (more than four million jobs) created during his first six months as president. Reforms focus on new support for small businesses.
Improving Care for Those With COVID-19
As the nation continues to battle the delta surge, the President’s plan will continue to send response teams to states that request them and take additional actions to accelerate this work. The administration will also make all efforts to get lifesaving monoclonal antibody treatment to those who need it.
Biden Pleaded for the Unvaccinated to Get the Protection
“What more do you need to see?” Biden asked the 80 million Americans who are still unvaccinated. “The vaccine is FDA-approved, over 200 million Americans have gotten the shot. We have been patient, but our patience is wearing thin.” According to the Associated Press on September 12, Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts said he and other Republican governors will challenge the sweeping new vaccine requirements in court: “You shouldn’t have to make the choice of keeping your job or getting a jab in the arm.”
