The nation's top infectious disease doctor says he is frustrated.
"As a physician, a scientist and a public health individual, Anderson, I am frustrated," Dr. Anthony Fauci told CNN's Anderson Cooper on Thursday, shortly after President Biden announced a sweeping new plan to get more people vaccinated and stop the spread of Covid-19. "The reason is we do have the tools to end this," Fauci added.
Fauci said he has been in public health situations where they did not have the means to stop something that is "devastating people," saying that is also "very frustrating" in its own right, but the vaccine changes this scenario.
"It's frustrating in a different way when you have the tools and you have the wherewithal to get to the end game of where you want to be, but you don't implement them," he said.
"I don't want to see people get sick, I don't want to see them get hospitalized and I certainly don't want to see them die, but that's what's happening when you don't vaccinate to the full extent possible," Fauci added.
Responding to criticism that the Biden administration is overreaching by mandating vaccinations for government employees and some contractors, Fauci said the President has the power to take those steps.
"He has the authority when it comes to the federal government's authority," he said. "For example, he can tell – through the Department of Labor – that any company that has 100 or more individuals should make a rule that either their vaccinated or they get tested. He can say that they can get paid leave to get vaccinated. He can certainly with an executive order say that members of the executive branch of the federal government need to be vaccinated. Those are all things he can do as President."
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, GOP Conference Chair Elise Stefanik, and Vice Chair Mike Johnson criticized President Biden’s new executive order mandating vaccination for government employees and some contractors.
The Biden administration is implementing Covid-19 vaccine requirements throughout the US where it has the authority to do so, White House Covid-19 response coordinator Jeff Zients said Thursday.
President Biden announced a wave of vaccine requirements for some workers in the US Thursday, including federal workers, contractors, health care workers in Medicare and Medicaid facilities and teachers working in the Head Start program.
“Given that we do have a group of people in this country who decided not to get vaccinated to date, we are very confident that pulling this lever of vaccination requirements across 100 million workers will have a big impact,” Zients told CNN.
When asked why the administration is not mandating the vaccine for all postal service employees and teachers in the US, Zients said, “We’re doing it everywhere we can.”
He noted that the Postal Service is an independent agency, and Biden is requiring teachers who are working for the federal government to get vaccinated.
Zients said the vaccine requirements already in place at health systems and private businesses across the country are making an impact.
“What we're seeing is that they work,” he said. “They increase the rates of vaccination dramatically.”
All eligible children attending Los Angeles Unified public schools – the nation’s second largest school district – will be required to be vaccinated against Covid-19 by the end of the calendar year, the school board of education has voted.
In a special meeting held Thursday, the Los Angeles Unified School Board decided a mandate was appropriate based on the sudden surge of the virus brought about by the Delta variant and data showing lower rates of infection and hospitalization among those who are vaccinated.
The proposal approved Thursday requires all eligible students 12 and older to receive their first vaccine dose by no later than Nov. 21, 2021, and their second dose by no later than Dec. 19, 2021. Students who participate in in-person extracurricular activities, including sports, face an earlier deadline of Oct. 3 for a first dose of the vaccine and a second dose no later than Oct. 31.
The district, which serves more than 600,000 students, already mandates the vaccine for teachers and staff, requires face coverings to be worn by all, and requires screening tests for all students and staff weekly. Classrooms have been outfitted with enhanced ventilation systems in an effort to decrease the spread of the virus.
District spokesperson Shannon Haber was not able to provide a number on exactly how many students will be affected by Thursday’s decision, but noted than many students have already been inoculated. Covid-19 vaccines are being provided free of charge to every eligible Californian, and mobile vaccine clinics are visiting every middle and high school in the district.
The mandate will apply to all vaccine eligible students who are going to school in-person and will allow those with “qualified and approved exemptions” to opt out, though the board did not specify the conditions. Students who decline the vaccine and have no exemptions can participate in the Independent Study Program (ISP). Currently, about 15,000 students are enrolled in the ISP, according to board member Tanya Ortiz Franklin.
During Thursday’s meeting, Dr. Richard Pan, a state senator, pediatrician, and district parent advocated for the measure, pushing for “community immunity” to protect the kids that are too young to be eligible for the vaccine. He praised LAUSD for “leading the way” and ���following the science to ensure schools are safe."
President Biden announced plans to reduce costs of Covid-19 testing for Americans, including working with retailers to make at-home Covid-19 test kits available "at-cost."
"In order to better detect and control the Delta variant, I'm taking steps tonight to make testing more available, more affordable and more convenient," Biden said. "I'll use the Defense Production Act to increase production of rapid tests, including those that you can use at home. While that production is ramping up, my administration has worked with top retailers like Walmart, Amazon and Kroger and tonight we're announcing that no later than next week, each of these outlets will start to sell at-home rapid test kits at cost for the next three months."
President Biden said the government is ready to deliver free booster shots to most Americans but only after they have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
"The decision of which booster shots to give and when to start them and who will give them will be left completely to the scientists at the FDA and the Centers for Disease Control," said Biden, addressing criticism that the White House was rushing ahead of the science in preparing boosters.
"While we wait we've done our part," continued Biden, speaking from the White House. "We bought enough boosters, enough booster shots and the distribution system is ready to administer them."
"The measures, these are going to take time to have full impact, but if we implement them, I believe and the scientists indicate that the months ahead we can reduce the number of unvaccinated Americans, decrease hospitalizations and deaths, and allow our children to go to school safely and keep our economy strong by keeping businesses open," Biden said during remarks from the White House.
"My message to unvaccinated Americans is this: What more is there to wait for? What more do you need to see? We have made vaccinations free, safe and convenient," he said in White House remarks.
"Over 200 million Americans have gotten at least one shot. We've been patient but our patience is wearing thin. Your refusal has cost all of us. So please do the right thing," Biden said.
"Listen to the voices of unvaccinated Americans who are lying in hospital beds, taking their final breath saying, 'If only I had gotten vaccinated. If only." It's a tragedy. Please don't let it become yours," the President told Americans.
President Biden said "nearly 80 million Americans" have not yet received a Covid-19 vaccine.
"Despite the fact that for almost five months free vaccines have been able in 80,000 different locations, we still have nearly 80 million Americans who have failed to get the shot, and to make matters worse, there are elected officials actively working to undermine the fight against Covid-19," Biden said in remarks about the next phase of his administration's pandemic response.
"Instead of encouraging people to get vaccinated and mask up, they are ordering mobile morgues for the unvaccinated for those dying in our communities. This is totally unacceptable," he continued.
Biden said that although the majority of Americans are trying to do the right thing, the portion that aren't have the potential to cause a lot of damage for everyone.
"The vast majority of Americans are doing the right thing. Nearly three-quarters of the eligible have gotten at least one shot, but one-quarter has not gotten any. That's nearly 80 million Americans not vaccinated, and in a country as large as ours, that's 25% minority. That 25% can cause a lot of damage, and they are. The unvaccinated overcrowd our hospitals or over run the emergency rooms and intensive care units leaving no one-for-someone with a heart attack or pancreatitis or cancer," the President said.
"I know there's a lot of confusion and misinformation, but the world's leading scientists confirm that if you're a fully vaccinated, your risk of severe illness from Covid-19 is very low," Biden added.