Renewed fears of coronavirus spread in the United States, primarily caused by the more contagious Delta variant, have led to renewed restrictions and mandates across the country, most notably mask and vaccine mandates. President Joe Biden has issued an order for all federal workers and on-site contractors to be vaccinated or be mandated to wear masks and submit to frequent testing.
Private companies, such as Delta Airlines and Disney, have also mandated vaccines for their employees. The available vaccines in the US, (the mRNA vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna and the more traditional viral vector Johnson and Johnson vaccine) are still under emergency use authorization, leading to hesitancy from many to take the vaccine as well as from many employers to mandate the vaccine. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has said they are working to fast-track approval of the Pfizer vaccine.
The Delta variant has been responsible for most of the recent infections in the past several weeks, with some scientists claiming the variant is as contagious as the chickenpox. The contagiousness of the variant has led to calls for both vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals to wear masks in an attempt to contain the virus’s spread.
No comments:
Post a Comment