WASHINGTON (AP), When vaccinations began to slow in the U.S., President Joe Biden supported incentives such as million-dollar cash lotteries if it was necessary to get shots in the arms. He's trying to find a more aggressive approach as coronavirus cases continue to rise.Biden has made it mandatory for millions of federal employees to either attest to their vaccination status, or face new and more stringent requirements in the last two weeks. Biden met with White House business leaders to urge them to comply.The administration is taking steps to mandate shots for anyone who travels from abroad to the U.S. The White House is considering other options, including possible support for school districts that impose rules to stop spread of the virus. This could be against the wishes of Republican leaders.Biden expressed gratitude Thursday to the mayors, school directors, educators, and local leaders who stood up against the governors' attempts to politicize mask protection for our children. Thank God for heroes like you. I stand with all of you. America should too.Biden is becoming more aggressive but he has resisted the temptation to force Americans to get vaccinated. Biden has resisted the urge to mandate vaccinations for all passengers on air travel or for federal workers. Biden is trying to balance between making life more difficult for those who aren't vaccinated and not provoking a backlash in a country deeply divided that would only harm his public health goals."Vaccine mandates represent the right lever at a time," Ben Wakana, deputy director of strategic communication and engagement for White House COVID-19 response said. He noted the public's growing confidence in vaccines, and added that this marks a new phase in government's campaign encouraging Americans to get shot.Continue the storyMany Republicans, especially those who are eyeing the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, disagree with this assessment and warn against federal overreach into decisions that should be left to the individuals. Biden and Governor Ron DeSantis from Florida, epicenter of the virus wave, has spent weeks arguing over the proper role for government in a crisis of public health.It is not difficult to find support for mandatory vaccines. A Kaiser Family Foundation poll found that 51% of Americans believe the federal government should mandate that workers get vaccinated. Only 45% disagree.Biden has for now required federal workers to testify to their vaccination status. Those who haven't received the required dose will face possible criminal penalties. Those who don't receive it will be required to keep their social distancing and to test every week for the virus.The Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Health and Human Services will require health workers to be vaccinated. In addition, the Pentagon announced it plans to mandate vaccinations for military personnel by the end of next month.As nearly 90 million Americans are still not vaccinated, and Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top infectious disease expert in the country, states that shots are the only way to stop the spread of the delta variant, the federal approach is more aggressive.White House officials claim that Biden initially wanted to be cautious to make sure Americans were ready to take on the strong-arming of the federal government. These federal moves were carefully designed to encourage other governments and businesses to do the same.Biden administration officials briefed Washington trade groups including the Chamber of Commerce, the Business Roundtable and others, in the hope that their members would do the same. In recent weeks, White House officials received dozens of calls from business executives asking about how they would implement their own vaccine mandates. Officials shared best practices and tips to help protect their workforces.Employers have the power to end the pandemic by implementing vaccination requirements," White House COVID-19 coordinator Jeff Zients stated Thursday. He named companies, universities, and local governments that have implemented them.These restrictions seem to have the desired effect. Combining new concerns about the rising delta variant, the rules have almost doubled the rate at which Americans get vaccinated. It now stands at 450,000 per day.Zients stated that the White House has not yet developed the infrastructure necessary to create so-called vaccine passports. This is despite criticisms from businesses about the complexity of state and local verification systems, which leaves them unable to enforce mandates. Although the Biden administration promised to share verification systems frameworks, it ultimately left them to the private sector and local governments due to political sensitivities.Although more serious measures like mandating vaccinations for interstate travel and changing the reimbursement system for COVID-19-infected people have been discussed, the administration is concerned that these would create too much polarization.They will be used in the future. Public opinion is shifting to require vaccinations to restore normalcy.Lawrence Gostin of Georgetown University's health law department said that Biden will likely have to keep the pressure on unvaccinated people. Gostin stated that Biden will need to take advantage of all the federal government's leverage and use pressure points. There are some things he could do, but he hasn't done them yet.We are exhausted with the country's lockdowns, business closings and masking. Vaccines are our only option. For nearly two years, we've tried everything: masking, distancing and occupancy limits. Even complete lockdowns. The virus keeps coming back. The only way to stop the virus is with vaccines. This tool must be used and it should be used vigorously. It will get a lot of public support, I believe.
