The Hill: Amid Challenges to Biden’s vaccine mandate, study shows they work

From The Hill: In early November, the Biden administration announced that large companies with 100 or more employees would have until Jan. 4, 2022, to ensure their workers are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or to require unvaccinated workers to undergo weekly testing. Companies that fail to comply with this ruling may be fined by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Twenty-four states and several governors have threatened to challenge the ruling in court, and a federal appeals court has temporarily blocked the mandate. Some business owners also have expressed fear that mandating the vaccine could intensify existing staffing shortages. Many politicians have shied away from mandates, worrying that the approach would be unpopular. But the key public health question is whether the evidence suggests that a mandate will increase or decrease vaccination. Now, Americans have the evidence coming from the implementation of mandates in companies and the government of New York City. In addition, a series of scientific experiments published recently show that the mandates can cause an increase in intentions to vaccinate. Although many public health experts support vaccine mandates, others caution that requiring vaccination can stir anger and opposition to the vaccine. According to one psychological theory, forceful measures may trigger negative emotions and weaken intentions to vaccinate. A key question about COVID-19 vaccination is: Will expanding vaccination mandates backfire by reducing vaccine acceptance instead of increasing it? Read the full story in The Hill.