<p>President Joe Biden touted the success of mandates in spurring vaccination against Covid-19 in the United States on Thursday but said that more needed to be done to get the 66 million people who are eligible but still unvaccinated to get the shot.</p>.<p>Vaccination rates against Covid-19 in the United States have <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/us/vaccine-requirements-raised-covid-19-vaccination-rates-by-20-percentage-points-2021-10-13">risen</a> by more than 20 percentage points after multiple institutions adopted vaccine requirements in recent months, while case numbers and deaths from the virus are down, Biden administration officials said on Wednesday.</p>.<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/international/world-news-politics/biden-to-meet-with-pope-francis-to-discuss-covid-19-climate-1040688.html">Biden to meet with Pope Francis to discuss Covid-19, climate</a></strong></p>.<p>Biden said in July federal workers needed to be vaccinated or get tested regularly. In September, he said federal workers needed to be vaccinated or face losing their jobs, and that employees at big companies needed to get jabs or be tested.</p>.<p>"The vaccine requirements that we started rolling out in the summer are working," Biden said, noting that the Labor Department's completed rule on vaccination requirements for businesses would be coming out shortly.</p>.<p>"We’re down to 66 million, still an unacceptably high number, of unvaccinated people," he said. "We can't let up now."</p>.<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/international/world-news-politics/us-jobless-claims-dip-below-3-lakh-in-pandemic-breakthrough-1040658.html">US jobless claims dip below 3 lakh in pandemic breakthrough</a></strong></p>.<p>The latest Reuters <a href="https://graphics.reuters.com/world-coronavirus-tracker-and-maps/vaccination-rollout-and-access">update </a>shows 66.3% of the United States population has received at least one shot and 57.3% are fully vaccinated. Administration officials said Wednesday 77% of eligible Americans had received at least one shot.</p>.<p>Some Republicans have pushed back on the mandates, including Texas Governor Gregg Abbott, who <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/us/texas-governor-bars-all-vaccine-mandates-state-2021-10-11 banning companies from mandating vaccines in the state. Some companies that operate there say they plan to ignore reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/rebuffing-texas-governor- american-airlines-southwest-stand-by-vaccine-mandate-2021-10-12">issued </a>an executive order the ban.</p>.<p>"Vaccination requirements should not be another issue that divides us," Biden said.</p>.<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/international/world-news-politics/us-unveils-plans-for-seven-major-offshore-wind-farms-1040582.html">US unveils plans for seven major offshore wind farms</a></strong></p>.<p>Vaccines for children ages five to 11 are expected to be approved in the United States by year-end. Biden said a decision on that authorization by the appropriate authorities was expected in the next few weeks.</p>.<p>"If authorised, we are ready," Biden said, adding the government had purchased enough vaccines for those children.</p>.<p><strong>Watch the latest DH Videos here:</strong></p>
<p>President Joe Biden touted the success of mandates in spurring vaccination against Covid-19 in the United States on Thursday but said that more needed to be done to get the 66 million people who are eligible but still unvaccinated to get the shot.</p>.<p>Vaccination rates against Covid-19 in the United States have <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/us/vaccine-requirements-raised-covid-19-vaccination-rates-by-20-percentage-points-2021-10-13">risen</a> by more than 20 percentage points after multiple institutions adopted vaccine requirements in recent months, while case numbers and deaths from the virus are down, Biden administration officials said on Wednesday.</p>.<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/international/world-news-politics/biden-to-meet-with-pope-francis-to-discuss-covid-19-climate-1040688.html">Biden to meet with Pope Francis to discuss Covid-19, climate</a></strong></p>.<p>Biden said in July federal workers needed to be vaccinated or get tested regularly. In September, he said federal workers needed to be vaccinated or face losing their jobs, and that employees at big companies needed to get jabs or be tested.</p>.<p>"The vaccine requirements that we started rolling out in the summer are working," Biden said, noting that the Labor Department's completed rule on vaccination requirements for businesses would be coming out shortly.</p>.<p>"We’re down to 66 million, still an unacceptably high number, of unvaccinated people," he said. "We can't let up now."</p>.<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/international/world-news-politics/us-jobless-claims-dip-below-3-lakh-in-pandemic-breakthrough-1040658.html">US jobless claims dip below 3 lakh in pandemic breakthrough</a></strong></p>.<p>The latest Reuters <a href="https://graphics.reuters.com/world-coronavirus-tracker-and-maps/vaccination-rollout-and-access">update </a>shows 66.3% of the United States population has received at least one shot and 57.3% are fully vaccinated. Administration officials said Wednesday 77% of eligible Americans had received at least one shot.</p>.<p>Some Republicans have pushed back on the mandates, including Texas Governor Gregg Abbott, who <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/us/texas-governor-bars-all-vaccine-mandates-state-2021-10-11 banning companies from mandating vaccines in the state. Some companies that operate there say they plan to ignore reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/rebuffing-texas-governor- american-airlines-southwest-stand-by-vaccine-mandate-2021-10-12">issued </a>an executive order the ban.</p>.<p>"Vaccination requirements should not be another issue that divides us," Biden said.</p>.<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/international/world-news-politics/us-unveils-plans-for-seven-major-offshore-wind-farms-1040582.html">US unveils plans for seven major offshore wind farms</a></strong></p>.<p>Vaccines for children ages five to 11 are expected to be approved in the United States by year-end. Biden said a decision on that authorization by the appropriate authorities was expected in the next few weeks.</p>.<p>"If authorised, we are ready," Biden said, adding the government had purchased enough vaccines for those children.</p>.<p><strong>Watch the latest DH Videos here:</strong></p>