Joe Biden pushes benefits of COVID vaccine mandates for public safety, economic sustainability

US President Joe Biden has pushed for the importance of COVID-19 vaccine mandates for public safety as well as economic sustainability.

Speaking at an event on the importance of COVID-19 vaccination requirements on Thursday, President Biden mentioned various paths to battle the pandemic.

"One, vaccinate the unvaccinated, two, continue to keep the vaccinated protected, keep children safe, increasing test and protect the economic recovery and improve the care of the people with COVID-19," he said in his speech.

He added that "more than 185 million Americans are fully vaccinated and more than 75 per cent of eligible Americans have got one shot so far."

Biden also lobbied for vaccine requirements as an effective tool to end the pandemic, arguing mandates had become necessary to turn the corner on the pandemic.

"These requirements work. And as the Business Roundtable and others told me when I announced the first requirement, that encouraged businesses to feel they could come in and demand the same thing of their employees. More people are getting vaccinated. More lives are being saved," he said.

His speech comes as part of a broader effort from the White House in recent weeks to more vocally encourage vaccine mandates at private companies as a measure to turn the tide on the coronavirus pandemic, as per The Hill.

A White House analysis released in advance of Biden's trip found vaccination rates increased by more than 20 per cent in companies, educational institutions, health systems and public sector agencies that have required their employees to get the shot. The White House further credited vaccination requirements with cutting the rate of unvaccinated Americans by one-third from the time Biden initially announced a vaccine attestation policy for federal workers, it added.

(ANI)

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