Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Surgeon General Defends New Vaccine Rules As 'Legal' And 'Appropriate'
Politico: Surgeon General: New Vaccine Policies Neither Illegal Nor Unusual
Surgeon General Vivek Murthy on Sunday defended the administration’s new Covid vaccine requirements, calling them “an appropriate legal measure“ that fit in with traditional safety requirements in schools and workplaces. “We have to put this in context. There are requirements that we put in workplaces and in schools every day to make sure that workplaces and schools are safe,” Murthy said on ABC’s “This Week.” (Cohen, 9/12)
Fox News: Surgeon General: US To 'Monitor' Whether Vaccine Exemptions Being Used Properly
U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy has advised that the Biden administration will "monitor" to ensure no one abuses COVID-19 vaccine exemptions. President Biden last week announced a mandate that required any company with at least 100 employees to mandate its workforce. The only way to avoid the mandate is to claim an exemption on either religious or medical grounds. Some critics argue that the exemptions allow for simple abuse, but Murthy insists the administration will ensure that does not happen. (Aitken, 9/12)
CNN: It May Take Many, Many More Vaccine Mandates To End The Covid-19 Pandemic, Fauci Says
Millions of Americans still need to get vaccinated to slow or stop the spread of Covid-19 and getting the pandemic under control could take "many, many" more vaccine mandates, Dr. Anthony Fauci said. Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said if more people aren't persuaded to get vaccinated by messaging from health officials and "trusted political messengers," additional mandates from schools and businesses may be necessary. (Holcombe, 9/13)
Detroit Free Press: Biden's Vaccine Mandates Likely To Be Upheld, Legal Experts Say
History and the law are on President Joe Biden's side when it comes to coronavirus vaccine mandates, a medical historian and legal experts told the Free Press. Although legal challenges are likely, "the mandates are legal and will ultimately be upheld," said Peter Jacobson, professor emeritus of health law and policy at the University of Michigan, of the sweeping plan Biden announced Thursday to combat the pandemic. The plan includes an emergency order through the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration that will require as many as 100 million U.S. workers get coronavirus vaccines or submit to weekly testing. (Jordan Shamus, 9/11)
And the surgeon general says more mandates are coming —
Reuters: Biden To Announce New COVID-19 Steps Ahead Of U.N. Meeting, Surgeon General Says
U.S. President Joe Biden will announce new steps to slow the spread of COVID-19 before the U.N. General Assembly meets, Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy said Sunday. Murthy did not specify what those steps would be. The next session of the General Assembly opens Tuesday; the first day of general debate will be the following week. (9/12)
In other news from the Biden administration —
Stat: Biden Administration Releases $25B In Covid Relief For Providers After Delay
The Biden administration on Friday announced plans to release more than $25 billion to health care providers to help with costs related to the Covid-19 pandemic, 11 months after the last major round of funding was released. The funds will be the latest tranche from the total $187 billion lawmakers set aside to help health care providers battling the pandemic. Health care providers and lawmakers from both parties had in recent weeks ratcheted up pressure on the Department of Health and Human Services to release billions in unused funds. (Cohrs, 9/10)
