This was not the case. It was simple to see a path to a protected society as people lined up to get the newly made, highly effective Covid-19 vaccines. The supply was not a constraint on the amount of doses administered, but the curve looked good. It was perfectly calibrated to allow things to return to normal by the end summer, just in the time that schools and workplaces could reopen. As long as the vaccine rate remained constant. It didn't. The curve reached its inflection point too quickly, moved from the upswing and then flattened. You can also add a mask-off, euphoric reopening across much of the country. Add the more easily transmissible Delta variant. The result: A pandemic among the unvaccinated, which, due to its enormous scale, threatens people who have only two shots because of the possibility of new infections.All this has led to a tipping point. It was the week that the carrot and stick met, when many influential organizations decided it was time for vaccine mandates.Today, President Joe Biden issued vaccine guidelines for 4 million federal employees. He said that too many people are either dying or witnessing the death of a loved one right now. These workers now have two options: they can either attest to their vaccination status or travel restrictions. They will also be required to wear masks and test once or twice a week. We have the tools we need to stop the next wave Covid closing down our schools, businesses, and society," he stated. He also said that the government would reimburse small businesses that allow employees to take paid time off to get vaccinated. His administration encourages states and local governments offer $100 incentives to residents. Biden directed the Department of Defense, to investigate when and how it will require Covid-19 vaccines for members of the armed force.Biden's announcement came after similar statements by a number of tech companies, including Google, Facebook, and others, who have informed their tens or thousands of employees across the country that workers returning to work will need vaccinations, as well as earlier mandates from universities and state governments. After a federal judge dismissed a lawsuit brought by employees of Houston Methodist Hospital, who claimed that the rules were illegal as the FDA only authorizes vaccines for emergency use, the legality of the moves was clearer last month. It's not just the employers. For example, in San Francisco, bars and clubs have stated that they will ask patrons for proof of identification starting next week.It is possible to make people do the right thing for public safety. Kirsten Bibbins - Domingo, an epidemiologist at the University of California San Francisco, believes that it is not ideal to force people into doing the right thing for public health. You should first try messaging to overcome doubts and incentivize those who need a push. This is what public health officials have done for many months and will continue doing, she says. She is happy to report that mandates have reached a critical point in the pandemic. She says we must use every tool available to us. This is the right thing to do at the moment and will hopefully lead to more people taking action.Already there is a clear herding effect. A group of leaders representing hospitals, universities and state governments argued that the benefits of protecting patients and residents from unvaccinated workers are greater than the concerns of individual employees. They also clarified that mandates are legal. Next, the major tech companies joined the fray, arguing that a fully-vaccinated workforce would be good business. They have been a kind of Covid cultural bellwether and led to the closing of offices in March 2020. Many are now shifting to remote work.
