Businesses, government add vaccine mandates

President Joe Biden is expected to announce a requirement for all federal employees to get vaccinated for COVID-19 or wear masks and undergo testing weekly. The mandate would affect roughly 4 million federal workers, including members of the military. On Wednesday, Google postponed in-person office returns until mid-October and also imposed a companywide vaccine requirement for nearly 140,000 employees across 40 countries. Google will adjust the rules according to the laws of each region and provide medical and “protected” exceptions.

What does the latest research say? Pfizer reported new evidence on Wednesday indicating that immunity wanes over time. The company recommended a third dose to boost immunity and said the additional shot also adds protection against the delta variant of the coronavirus. The new data has not been peer reviewed or published. The health community debates the necessity of booster shots for COVID-19, especially when roughly 43 percent of the eligible population has not received a first dose, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Dig deeper: Read Mary Muncy’s report in The Stew about the use of vaccine passports.