MSNBC host Joe Scarborough begged President Joe Biden on Monday to force all teachers and healthcare workers to get vaccinated against the coronavirus.
“He does need to make the tough choice right now,” Scarborough said. “And he needs to start in his own political backyard. He needs to tell the teachers union that he’s going to require every public health care person to get it but also … every public school teacher needs to be vaccinated.”
The former Republican congressman claimed that a lack of a vaccine mandate would allow teachers unions to push against reopening schools this fall, which he said is “not an option.”
“Our kids stayed home last year from school and the results were absolutely devastating,” he continued. “So, we have the vaccines and the president of the United States needs to say if you are a public school teacher or you teach at a public university, as a condition of your job, you have to get vaccinated.”
Scarborough’s comments followed a statement by the American Medical Association and dozens of other medical groups asking the government to mandate vaccinations for all doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and other healthcare workers.
“We call for all health care and long-term care employers to require their employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19,” the groups said. “The health and safety of U.S. workers, families, communities, and the nation depends on it.”
Scarborough said he agrees with the demand, especially as the Delta variant infects unvaccinated Americans.
“Here we are six months later, and I’m seeing statistics that 40, 45 percent of health care workers in nursing homes aren’t vaccinated,” he said. “Are you kidding me? You’re putting the lives of senior citizens at risk?”
The Biden administration previously said it would not impose a federal vaccine mandate, but it has come under increased pressure from activists to crack down on the Americans who are choosing not to get vaccinated.
As of right now, though, Biden said his policies will not change.
