In a Sunday interview, Dr. Vivek Murthy, the U.S. Surgeon General shielded the steps of the Biden administration “This Week” after it declared an extensive COVID-19 vaccine directive for companies having 100 employees or more.
Murthy said in an interview to “This Week” co-anchor Martha Raddatz “The president and the administration wouldn’t have put these requirements in place if they didn’t think that they were appropriate and necessary.
The administration is certainly prepared to defend them,” further adding that the U.S. has a past of making use of vaccine necessities to secure the population.
Trump Attacks Mcconnell, House ‘Rinos’ Over Passage of ‘non-infrastructure’ Bill
On Thursday, the Biden administration issued new federal mandates that see COVID-19 as an occupational risk, signifying about 100 million U.S. employees will be needed to have evidence of the COVID-19 vaccine by the maximum 4th January of the coming year along with some employees entitled to test every week.
It’s Essential to Take Steps to Provide a Safer Workplace
Murthy said, “It’s important we take every measure possible to make our workplaces safer.” Adding further “It’s good for people’s health, it’s good for the economy, and that’s why these requirements make so much sense.”
“I’m cautiously optimistic about where we are…But if COVID has taught us anything, it’s that we can’t take our foot off the accelerator until we’re at the finish line,” Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy tells @MarthaRaddatz. https://t.co/Db7DwuAZRi pic.twitter.com/06WDSg60vl
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) November 7, 2021
A minimum of 27 states, along with Kentucky, Oklahoma, and West Virginia, have even filed cases against the mandate, stating that the rule is oppressive.
The number of business groups has also caught up against the new rule. The National Retail Federation has stated the rule “burdensome” upon retailers since they step into the holiday shopping season.
Impact of the Mandate Upon Businesses and Economy as Well
Raddatz pushed Murthy on the effect that this rule could have over businesses and the economy since currently, the U.S. is going through a labor crisis and distress on the supply chain.
Fact Check: False Youtube Video Promises $10,000 to ‘Detain’ Pope Francis
Murthy said “I hear time and time again, from small businesses, large businesses and workers are that what’s hurting the economy is COVID itself,” adding further “There are times where we recognize that our decisions have a broader effect on people around us.
COVID has reminded us of that, and that’s why having these types of requirements in workplaces will be not only helpful, it’s a necessary step to accelerate our pathway out of the pandemic.”
Asked by @MarthaRaddatz if the Biden admin may extend federal vaccine mandate to smaller companies with fewer than 100 employees, @Surgeon_General says “certainly nothing is off the table…but the focus right now is implementing the current rule.” https://t.co/5A4HqRnfWy pic.twitter.com/koRZwFNzTi
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) November 7, 2021
Currently, the rule impacts businesses with more than 100 employees, which covers around two-thirds of the workforce of the nation.
Although when Raddatz asked Murthy whether there is any probability of the rule being dragged out to employers having less than 100 employees, in this context Murthy stated nothing is off the table and added that rules like these do turn out to be worked.
Murthy said, “What we’ve seen in a report issued recently was that, on average, businesses that put these requirements in place see a 20% increase in vaccination rates, often boosting them into the 90s.”
“If we realize, as we have over the past year, that vaccination is one of our key pathways out of this pandemic, these requirements will do a lot to get us to over the finish line.”
Scott Gottlieb, the former FDA Commissioner stated on CNBC this week that the U.S. could be largely through with the pandemic by the time these rules are set in place. Raddatz highlighted that out, and Murthy stated he is carefully having a positive approach regarding where the nation is moving as a result of vaccinations.
He said “We’ve gotten over 190 million people fully vaccinated in our country, [and] we now have a vaccine for children 5 through 11,” in addition to that he said “That’s 28 million more people who now had the opportunity to get vaccinated. I think we made a tremendous amount of progress.”
And now, with information of Pfizer’s new antiviral pill, which, as stated by the company would decrease the threat of hospitalization and casualties by 89 percent, Raddatz also asked him regarding the effect that might have upon the lookout of the pandemic in case the same gets approved.
“A pill is not a substitute for getting vaccinated.”@Surgeon_General tells @MarthaRaddatz that Pfizer’s antiviral pill for high-risk COVID patients is “good news,” but says vaccines are most effective method for reducing hospitalization, death. https://t.co/lhtLKjjni5 pic.twitter.com/lsmfx0wS4P
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) November 7, 2021
“100 Percent Effective Possibilities to Avoid Hospitalization and Death”
Murthy stated that the declaration of the pill is good news although included that being vaccinated is anyway the most efficient and best approach to prevent the outbreak of COVID-19.
Social Security & You: When Grandma Needs Help Managing Her Social Security Benefits
Murthy said “There is a 100% effective strategy to avoid hospitalization and death,” adding that “Getting vaccinated still must be at the heart of our strategy, as a therapeutic pill is not a substitute for getting vaccinated.”
Since younger kids around the nation have already started to get their shots of a vaccine against COVID-19, Raddatz asked Murthy if the country could probably witness the same number of Covid-19 cases in children or not since it has in young adults.
Murthy said “We’ve seen very good results in the clinical trials,” adding “We’re going to continue to follow children over time, but those results were very, very promising, and it’s one of the reasons why I’m planning to take my 5-year-old to get vaccinated as soon as possible.”
