National Institutes of Health director Dr. Francis Collins said Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union” that he supports business requiring proof of vaccination for customers.
Anchor Jake Tapper said, “Some businesses are going a step further and requiring proof of vaccinations not just for employees, but even for customers in some cases. Audience members for broadway plays and musicals need to be vaccinated. Some bars in San Francisco and D.C. are requiring proof of vaccinations. Do you think as a public health measure it would be good for more businesses to require vaccine credentials in order to have vaccinated customers?”
Collins said, “As a public health person who wants to see this pandemic end, yes. I think anything we can do to encourage reluctant folks to get vaccinated because they’ll want to be part of these public events, that’s a good thing. I’m delighted to see employers like Disney and Walmart coming out and asking their staff to be vaccinated. I’m glad to see the president has said all federal employees. I oversee NIH. With 40,000 people need to get vaccinated or if they’re not to get regular testing which is inconvenient. All of those steps, I think is in the right direction. Maybe that’s what it will take for some of those who have still been a little reluctant to say, okay, it’s time. The data will support the decision. They are making the right choice for their own safety. Sometimes it takes a nudge.”
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