President Biden’s new pandemic plan

 

President Biden’s new pandemic plan

 

On Thursday, President Joe Biden announced a new action plan to combat the latest phase of the coronavirus pandemic, which included the President’s strictest vaccine requirements to date.   Under Biden’s proposal, new vaccine rules will be implemented for federal workers, large employers and health care staff in a sweeping attempt to contain the latest surge of Covid-19.   At the center of the agenda is a requirement for all businesses with 100 or more employees to require Covid-19 vaccination or submit to testing at least once a week. Companies could face fines of thousands of dollars per employee if they don't comply.   The new requirements could apply to as many as 100 million Americans -- close to two-thirds of the American workforce -- and amounts to Biden's strongest push yet to require vaccines for much of the country.   Biden’s plan also includes boosting the protection of people who are already vaccinated with an additional shot. The US Food and Drug Administration’s vaccine advisory group will evaluate the data around boosters on Friday.   Some public health experts, including Dr. Paul Offit, who sits on the board of the advisory group, have said there isn’t any clear evidence that we need boosters. Offit, US Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy and President Biden’s chief medical adviser, Dr. Anthony Fauci all agree that the vaccines remain effective against preventing severe disease. What worries a number of experts -- including Fauci -- is that data from other countries, notably Israel, have seen protection from vaccines decline, but also a rise in hospitalizations of people with Covid-19. Offit and other members of the FDA’s vaccine advisory group will be discussing data on boosters and hear more about the experiences of Israeli health officials on Friday, as the vaccine advisory group meets to address whether or not boosters should be recommended for most Americans.