President Joe Biden’s orders requiring vaccinations for about two-thirds of the U.S. workforce add to a patchwork of vaccine mandates aimed at pushing more people to get their shots and bring the pandemic under control.

The president had largely resisted issuing federal mandates, but in recent months, many states, companies and schools have issued their own mandates in order to inoculate reluctant or resistant Americans.

Currently nearly 80 million vaccine-eligible Americans have yet to get a single dose, according to the White House. Health experts believe this helped the delta variant thrive in many parts of the country over the summer.

“The unvaccinated overcrowd our hospitals … leaving no room for someone with a heart attack or pancreatitis or cancer,” Biden said in a speech on Sept. 9, 2021, announcing the new orders. “We’ve been patient, but our patience is wearing thin. And your refusal has cost all of us.”

Read more here: https://theconversation.com/whos-covered-by-a-vaccine-mandate-heres-a-quick-guide-to-americas-patchwork-of-covid-19-shot-requirements-167765

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