The administration of President Joe Biden announced Thursday that the vaccination rule it applies to private companies with 100 or more employees, some health care workers and federal contractors will take effect January 4.
That rule states that employees who fall into these groups will need to receive their full doses of the vaccine, either two doses of Pfizer, Moderna or one dose of Johnson & Johnson, by January 4.
According to CNN, companies that did not comply with the order in the final promise could face fines of up to $14,000 for each worker who did not receive the vaccine. The new rule also requires workers to get tested weekly if they have not been vaccinated.
“I would have preferred that vaccination not become mandatory for everyone, with so many unvaccinated citizens that we will not be able to get out of the crisis forever,” the president said. Therefore, getting the vaccine has become an obligatory necessity.” He noted that "there were no" mass dismissals or shortages of workers due to vaccine requirements.
He added that companies and institutions must act to compel their employees to get the vaccine, stressing that "they have more power than ever to accelerate our path out of this epidemic, save lives, and protect our economic recovery."
The 84 million employees who work for large companies and 17 million health care workers at Medicare and Medicaid participating facilities will be covered. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) employees will conduct random inspections to check whether businesses are following instructions.
In contrast, Republicans immediately announced legal action Thursday against the vaccine mandate, after the president revealed details of the new rule, which affects millions of Americans working for private companies and federal contractors.
"The Biden administration does not have the power to force hard-working Americans to choose between vaccination and work to support their families," Republican National Committee (RNC) Chair Ronna McDaniel wrote in a special statement.
Republican prosecutors from Kentucky, Ohio and Tennessee also filed a joint lawsuit against the new "unconstitutional" vaccine mandates, calling them "excessive authoritarianism."
They stressed that they will take all legal measures to deal with federal abuses and protect the livelihood of workers in these states.
The Daily Mail explained that retailers stressed that the new rule would place an "unnecessary" burden on businesses ahead of the holiday season.
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