COVID-19 'Vaccine Works,' but Many Americans Still Refuse the Shot

Contrary to what “Anti-Vaxxers” or individuals who subscribe to the thought process that the COVID-19 vaccine does not work, and is just a way for the federal government to control Americans, “the vaccine works and is our best defense against COVID-19,” says Florida Senator Rick Scott (R).

Like Gov. Ron DeSantis, Senator Marco Rubio, and other Republican and Democratic lawmakers, Sen. Scott is urging Americans to “get vaccinated” to prevent the spread of the highly contagious Delta variant of the COVID-19 virus.

While most Democrats are not pushing for mandatory vaccinations, President Biden has suggested having medical teams deliver vaccinations at people’s doorsteps, and has even suggested that federal government employees should have to be vaccinated.

But just as President Biden began to receive criticism for even thinking about imposing a vaccination mandate on all federal employees,   U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky, ended the conversation, for now.

"To clarify: There will be no nationwide mandate. I was referring to mandates by private institutions and portions of the federal government," Walensky wrote in a Twitter post. "There will be no federal mandate."

The surge in COVID-19 infections, hospitalizations, and deaths appear to be predominantly affecting unvaccinated individuals, and those grim numbers are expected to climb dramatically as we enter the hottest part of the Summer.

"We will see this big, steep acceleration," Dr. Peter Hotez, co-director for the Center for Vaccine Development at Texas Children's Hospital, told CNN's Anderson Cooper on Friday. "As bad as things are right now in the South, they are about to get worse for lots of unvaccinated individuals."

Vaccine mandates may not be on the horizon, but mask mandates are, and Democrats are open to forcing Americans into wearing them.

Florida Senator Shevrin Jones (D) became the first state legislator to call for Gov. DeSantis to impose a statewide mask mandate. Just last week, Speaker Nancy Pelosi mandated the use of masks in and around the House floor before directing Capitol Police to arrest any staffer or visitor who is not wearing a mask.

Last week, Biden was accused of ignoring a new drug that could help with the more moderate infections.