Guidelines for obtaining booster vaccines – Biden’s vaccine mandate – The resistance to the mandate – A reminiscence of the polio vaccine – An unexpected advocate of the “right to choose” – Evening statistics
In anticipation of my upcoming trip I went to CVS today to purchase insect repellent and while I was there it occurred to me to ask at the pharmacy when one becomes eligible for a booster vaccine. The answer was that at present it is being administered only to the immuno-compromised but that it will become available to the general public in a few months. At that point it must be at least eight months past the second dose before one can receive a booster. Since I got my second dose on March 24th, that would make late November or early December a likely date. The booster is beginning to seem advisable. Hospitalizations from the virus continue to soar, and it is not likely that they will diminish as the seasonal temperatures become colder.
Biden announced yesterday the implementation of vaccine mandates for federal workers, health care workers, and workers for all businesses that employ 100 people or more – mandates that have the potential to affect over 100 million people, or about two-thirds of the American workforce. Now that one of the vaccines (Pfizer) has full FDA approval, he has the legal authority to take such a step. The Post Office, which generally has some degree of autonomy in such matters, is included in this directive.
Initially the U.S. had taken the lead in the administration of vaccines, until the resistance of a substantial portion of our population simply refused to take them, to the wonder of observers abroad. By now several European countries have a considerably higher percentage of their populations fully vaccinated than we do. I have no doubt that various factions will be protesting against this apparent infringement on individual liberty and that lawsuits to block it are already in preparation. The current situation, however, is not the first time that a vaccine has been mandated. I can remember when the Sabin-Salk vaccine for polio was routinely given to school-children; and while there had been some pushback at the time, the government overrode it with a firm hand. The result is that polio was eliminated in this country by 1994.
One state governor has already issued an Executive Order in an effort to contravene Biden’s mandate and to protect its residents’ “right to choose”; and that governor is – try to take a guess. None other than Governor Abbott of Texas, who has imposed the most rigorous abortion ban in defiance of Federal law and of a Supreme Court decision than has been in place for more than half a century. When it comes to people’s “right to choose” upon being impregnated as a result of unwanted attentions from a close family member or a rapist, Governor Abbott’s vigilance on this matter clearly falls into abeyance.
Today’s statistics as of 7:30 PM – # of cases worldwide: 224,598,253; # of deaths worldwide: 4,629,532; # of cases U.S.: 41,736,420; # of deaths; U.S.: 676,926.
The link to the complete journal is: https://betulacordifolia.com/?order=asc