The Biden administration wants employers to require that their workers get the coronavirus vaccine, according to comments from COVID-19 response coordinator Jeff Zients on Tuesday.
“We continue to push for more vaccination progress, including through vaccination requirements,” Zients said at a COVID-19 briefing, according to a White House transcript.
“Bottom line: Vaccination requirements work. They drive up vaccination rates. And we need more businesses and other employers, including healthcare systems, school districts, colleges and universities to step up and do their part to help end the pandemic faster,” he said.
Zients touted as a success the number of employers that have fallen in line with the administration’s call to require employees to be vaccinated.
“And now, over 800 colleges and universities, over 200 healthcare employers, small and large businesses across the country, and dozens of state and local governments and school districts have stepped up to follow the president’s lead,” he said.
Zients sought to portray private-sector employers as also heeding President Joe Biden’s bidding.
“Notably, the share of job postings that require vaccinations are up 90 percent according to Indeed.com, a popular job search site,” he said.
Union representing Chicago firefighters and paramedics is opposed to vaccine mandate https://t.co/idCCRVVPWv via @SunTimes
— sylvaner (@Sylvaners) August 31, 2021
If California issues a vaccine mandate I’m moving.
The vaccines do not stop nor even really slow spread. There is ZERO science behind these mandates. This is about big pharma dollars buying off every level of government.
Get money out of politics. #VaccinePassport
— Kim Iversen (@KimIversenShow) August 28, 2021
During the briefing, Zients touched on the upcoming Labor Day holiday.
“We need more individuals to step up too. As people across the country prepare for Labor Day weekend, it’s critical that being vaccinated is part of their pre-holiday checklist,” he said. He did not explain how, given the time it takes to acquire protection through any vaccine, this would impact Labor Day safety.
Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, suggested being selective with whom one mingles over the holiday.
“First, if gathering with family and friends, remember that spending time outside with others who are vaccinated will help to prevent transmission,” she said.
Some employers have held off, such as Cree, a North Carolina-based maker of semiconductors.
“There are no current incentives or requirements for vaccination, but we continue to encourage our employees to do what’s best for them and their families, while making it as easy as possible to access the necessary resources to obtain the vaccine,” the company said, according to the Raleigh News & Observer.
A job website called Red Balloon is bucking the trend, and, according to The New York Times, seeks to “connect employers who value freedom with employees who value it too.”
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“We’re taking a stand against this mandatory vaccine trend,” Red Balloon’s founder, Andrew Crapuchettes said. “In today’s tight labor market, there are good companies with strong work cultures who want to hire dedicated employees regardless of their health care choices.”
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
