Surgeon General Murthy: SCOTUS Vaccine Mandate Block a ‘Setback for Public Health’

Surgeon General Vivek Murthy said Sunday on ABC’s “This Week” that the Supreme Court blocking the Biden administration’s vaccine mandate for large businesses is a “setback for public health.”

Anchor Martha Raddatz said, “You talk about vaccinations, and how important they are, they certainly are, and boosters. The Supreme Court blocked the mandate for large businesses, something you said on this program in November was necessary and appropriate, and that was before the Omicron surge. So what is plan B?”

Murthy said, “Well, the news about the workplace requirement being blocked by very disappointing, Martha. It was a setback for public health because what these requirements ultimately are helpful for is not just protecting the community at large but making our workplaces safer for workers as well as for customers. So, the good news, though, is that there is nothing that stops workplaces from voluntarily putting these requirements in place. In fact, many have done so already. A third of the Fortune 100 companies have put these in place, and many more outside have,”

He added, “So we are certainly encouraging companies to put these requirements in place voluntarily, and in a health care setting, that was upheld. Seventeen million workers across the country are still required now to get vaccinated. That will help create a safer environment for health care workers as well as for patients.”

Follow Pam Key on Twitter @pamkeyNEN