Over the slowing COVID-19 vaccination rate in the US, president Joe Biden has expressed his frustration and pleaded people that it’s “gigantically important” for Americans to step up and get inoculated for the virus as it surges once again.
While speaking at a televised town hall in Cincinnati on Wednesday, Biden said, the public health crisis has turned largely into a dilemma of the unvaccinated people as the spread of the Delta variant has led to an increase in infections across the country.
He said on the CNN town hall, “We have a pandemic for those who haven’t gotten the vaccination — it’s that basic, that simple.”
“If you’re vaccinated, you’re not going to be hospitalised, you’re not going to be in the IC unit, and you’re not going to die,” Biden said at the forum at Mount St. Joseph University.
“So, it’s gigantically important that … we all act like Americans who care about our fellow Americans.”
He also expressed his confidence that children under 12 will be permitted for vaccination in the coming months but at the same time he expressed his agitation over so many eligible Americans are still hesitant to get a jab.
All the deaths and hospitalisation in the US are nearly among the unvaccinated population. But coronavirus cases have almost trebled in the US over last two weeks amid an onslaught of vaccine misinformation that is straining hospitals, exhausting doctors and pushing clergy into the fight.
Over the past two weeks to more than 37,000 cases have been recorded across the US that is up from less than 13,700 on July 6, according to data released by Johns Hopkins University.
According to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said, health officials blame the Delta variant and slow vaccination rates. Just 56.2 percent of Americans have gotten at least one dose of the vaccine. It was also noted by the president that the surge has become so concerning that even his critics are pushing back against vaccine misinformation.
Biden made an indirect reference to high-profile conservative personalities at Fox News who have “had an altar call” and are now more openly speaking to their skeptical guests about the benefits of getting vaccinated. Sean Hannity recently told viewers, “I believe in the science of vaccination” and urged them to take the disease seriously.
Steve Doocy, who cohosts “Fox & Friends”, this week told viewers the vaccination “will save your life”.
Biden, who traveled to Ohio as he’s trying to rev up support for his economic agenda, visited a union training center ahead of the town hall. The trip comes as the fate of his infrastructure proposal remains unclear after Senate Republicans rejected a USD 1 trillion blueprint in a key test vote Wednesday.
A bipartisan group of 22 senators said in a joint statement after the vote that they were close to coming to terms on a deal and requested a delay until Monday.
Biden expressed confidence in the outcome, saying, “It’s a good thing and I think we’re going to get it done.”
While lawmakers wrangle over the details of that proposal on Capitol Hill, Biden made the case that his nearly USD 4 trillion package is needed to rebuild the middle class and sustain the economic growth the country has seen during the first six months of his presidency.
