© Michael Reynolds/AP
Surgeon General Jerome Adams
Debates over whether
an employer can mandate a COVID-19 vaccine once offices reopen
continue to swirl as the U.S. waits to start vaccinating non-priority individuals in the spring of 2021. While
current guidance shows it is possible for employers to do so,
U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams doesn't recommend it.
"Right now, we are not recommending that anyone mandate a vaccine," Adams said in an interview with Yahoo Finance. He explained that it is because
the vaccine is still not fully approved, but the company expects fll licensure by the first half of 2021.
"This vaccine hasn't been fully approved yet.
It's been authorized. And that means that scientists, the FDA, and independent scientists feel that the benefit far outweighs the risk," he said, explaining the elements of an emergency use authorization.
But with a significant anti-vaccination movement in place around the country, and many still unsure about severe vaccine side effects,
it's likely a mandate could face pushback. Even with the most recent poll,
by Kaiser Family Foundation, showing 71% of Americans are willing to take a vaccine, internet searches show concern remains.
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