At least 40 percent of National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) employees are refusing to get the COVID-19 vaccine according to NIAID Director Dr. Anthony Fauci, and FDA official Dr. Peter Marks.
During a Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee hearing Tuesday on efforts to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, Senator Richard Burr (R-Va.) asked Fauci, Marks, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky what percentage of their own employees were vaccinated.
Both Fauci and Marks estimated that a little more than half—perhaps around 60 percent of their employees—have been vaccinated. Walensky waffled, saying only that she was “encouraging employees to get vaccinated,” but couldn’t say how many have actually done so.
“We’ve been doing town halls and education seminars. Our staff have the option to report their vaccination status, but as you understand, the federal government is not requiring it so we do not know,” she said.
Senator Burr asked Fauci, Peter Marks from the FDA, and @CDCDirector what percentage of their own employees are vaccinated.
Fauci probably a bit more than half, around 60%.
Marks said about the same.
Walensky dodged the question. pic.twitter.com/zoeZXZeCWM
— Phil Kerpen (@kerpen) May 14, 2021
CDC, FDA employees were among the first groups to be offered the vaccine, but don’t appear to be too far ahead of other residents in their area in terms of compliance. In Virginia, 39 percent of the population have gotten both jabs, according to to the NPR Vaccination tracker, and 40.8 percent in Maryland have. In Washington DC, only 37 percent of residents have been fully vaccinated.
This news comes as CDC announces that fully vaccinated people no longer need to wear masks or practice physical distancing in the majority of situations, while advising unvaccinated people to still mask up.
Joe Biden on Thursday issued an ultimatum both vocally and on social media for Americans to either “get vaccinated or wear a mask until you do.”
The rule is now simple: get vaccinated or wear a mask until you do.
The choice is yours.
— President Biden (@POTUS) May 13, 2021
It appears that a significant number of employees in the administration’s own health departments have made the choice not to get vaccinated, and that’s a problem for a Regime that is encouraging vaccine passports in the private sector that would require Americans to show some sort of proof of vaccination to travel, attend events, work, and participate in society.