Top Biden health officials in recent days have also debated whether to encourage businesses, health care facilities and other institutions to require proof of Covid-19 vaccination as a condition for returning to work, fearing the Delta strain will continue to cause case numbers to spike over the next several months, two of the people said.
The high-level conversations underscore the extent to which the administration is working to find new and more efficient ways to safeguard Americans living in communities with rising infection rates.
But officials are split on the merits of issuing new federal guidelines, with some fearing they will be politicized and embolden new Republican attacks. This camp believes recommending proof of vaccination would raise the specter of “vaccine passports” — an increasingly potent conservative talking point — and alienate and stigmatize portions of the country where individuals have chosen not to get the shot. And they fear calls to reimpose mask mandates will be futile.
“It’s political,” one of the people said. “They think people like [Florida Gov. Ron] DeSantis and company are just waiting for the White House to announce some kind of vaccine mandate and then they’re going to jump on it for political reasons.”
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