Topline
According to White House officials, 77% of eligible Americans had received at minimum one dose of coronavirus vaccine by Wednesday. They attributed the success of the mass vaccination drive to the increasing number of mandated vaccines in the country.
Aiden Arthurs is presented with the Pfizer BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine by Andrew Mac, a pharmacist at the Jewish Federation/JARC offices in Bloomfield Hills (Michigan) on May 13, 2021. AFP via Getty Images
The Key Facts
According to White House coronavirus response coordinator Jeff Zients, more than 3500 institutions across the country have been mandated to administer coronavirus vaccinations. This includes healthcare systems, schools, and universities. The idea of federal vaccine mandates was first proposed by President Joe Biden in July. He encouraged local businesses to request them for their employees. Since then, the number eligible Americans without vaccinations has dropped by approximately one-third from 97 million down to 66 millions, Zients stated. Zients stated that vaccine mandates have contributed to a more 20-point increase in the national vaccination rate and a decline in coronavirus infections. According to Dr. Rochelle Walensky, Director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the weekly average for coronavirus infection is now down 12% compared to the previous week. Weekly average deaths are down 5%.
Important Background
The CDC estimates that 187.7 millions Americans have been fully vaccinated against the coronavirus. This is approximately 56.5% of the total population. The U.S. administered 400 million doses of vaccines on Friday. Despite the fact that mandated areas have seen an increase in vaccination rates, other states have banned vaccine passports and innoculation requirements. Gregg Abbott signed Monday's executive order that prohibits any state entity from requiring coronavirus vaccinations. This includes private businesses. On Tuesday, Florida Gov. After asking employees for proof of vaccination, Ron DeSantis administration announced that it would fine Leon County (which surrounds Tallahassee) $3.57million. The state claims that the Florida ban on vaccination passports was violated by the actions.
