by: Lanie Lee Cook, Nexstar Media Wire
(Getty Images)
DENVER (KDVR) People who want to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by Thanksgiving, Hanukkah or Christmas are running out of time.
It requires planning to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 in time for a particular event. Two of the three vaccines available in the U.S. require two doses spread weeks apart and a waiting period once the shots have been administered.
The COVID-19 vaccines in the U.S. have different dosage timelines. But regardless of which one you take, a person is not considered fully vaccinated until 14 days beyond their final dose.
Heres how long it takes from a first COVID-19 vaccine dose to full vaccination:
To be considered fully vaccinated against COVID-19 in time for holidays, you must get the first dose of Moderna or Pfizer or a single dose of Johnson & Johnson by the dates listed below:
Employers who sponsor group health plans will be interested in new guidance released last week by the DOL, IRS and HHS in the form of five COVID-19 related FAQs. Two of the FAQs address group health plan coverage requirements for COVID-19 vaccines, while the other FAQs provide long-awaited guidance on offering incentives for COVID-19 vaccines under group health plans and wellness programs.
Here are the key takeaways:
The guidance reminds the public that the HIPAA Privacy Rule does not apply to employers or employment records.[1]
On September 30, 2021, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) released guidance (the Guidance) entitled, HIPAA, COVID-19 Vaccination, and the Workplace, regarding the applicability of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) Privacy Rule (Privacy Rule) to disclosures and requests for information regarding COVID-19 vaccination status. In a frequently-asked-questions format, the Guidance sets forth a series of workplace-related scenarios involving the confidentiality of an employees vaccination status, an employers ability to obtain vaccination information from its employees, and the confidentiality of such information.
Per the Guidance, HIPAA does not prevent or apply to the following scenarios:
According to the Guidance, the Privacy Rule does not prevent or apply to an employer requiring a workforce member to disclose whether he or she has received a COVID-19 vaccine to the employer, clients or other parties, including patients or members of the public. The Privacy Rule does not apply to employment records, or regulate what information can be requested from employees as part of the terms and conditions of employment imposed by the employer, even if the employer is a covered entity or business associate. Specifically, an employer may request or require:
Note, however, the Privacy Rule does impact how and when the covered entity or business associate can use and disclose such protected health information (PHI), including information about an individuals vaccination status to an employer or other business. For instance, a doctors office may not disclose an individuals PHI, including whether they have received a COVID-19 vaccine, to the individuals employer or other party unless it has the individuals authorization or as otherwise expressly permitted by the Privacy Rule. Similarly, the individuals authorization is required for the covered entity to disclose vaccination status for entertainment, leisure or travel purposes.
Even where authorized, the covered entity or business associate should only disclose the PHI that is reasonably necessary to accomplish the purpose of the disclosure, or where otherwise required by law. For example:
However, a covered entity hospital may disclose PHI related to an employees vaccination status to the employer for purposes of medical surveillance of the workplace or for evaluation of whether the individual has a work-related illness as long as (i) the hospital is providing the healthcare service to the individual at the employers request or as a member of the employers workforce; (ii) the PHI that is disclosed consists of findings concerning work-related illness or medical surveillance; (iii) the employer needs the findings to comply with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) or state laws with similar purposes; and (iv) the provider provides written notice to the individual that the PHI will be disclosed to the employer.
Additionally, given that the Privacy Rule only applies to covered entities and their business associates, it does not impact an individuals decision on whether or not to disclose his or her vaccination status. Healthcare pundits have frequently noted a common misconception that HIPAA protects PHI, including an individuals vaccination status, from voluntary disclosure by the individual whose PHI is at issue.[2] As shown in the Guidance, this is not true. Notably, public figures who are asked about their vaccination status and decline to answer based upon what they identify as their HIPAA rights are, in fact, simply making a personal choice to not disclose their information. HIPAA does not prevent an individual from asking the question and it does not prevent an individual from answering the question in any way they choose.
As the OCR reminds the reader in the Guidance, the Guidance only sets forth the applicability of HIPAA to the scenarios described therein. Other state or federal laws and regulations may still apply to requests for, or the disclosure of, vaccination status. For example, under Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act, employers that collect documentation regarding employee vaccination status must keep such documentation confidential and store it separately from the employees personnel files. State laws may have similar provisions which go above-and-beyond what may be required under State law.
We will continue to monitor and provide updates on any further guidance released in relation to COVID-19 vaccines and disclosure or requests for information requirements.
FOOTNOTES
[1] HIPAA, COVID-19 Vaccination, and the Workplace, Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Civil Rights (September 30, 2021) at https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/for-professionals/privacy/guidance/hipaa-covid-19-vaccination-workplace/index.html.
[2] Common Misconceptions About HIPAA and COVID-19 Vaccination Status; Asking someone about their COVID 19 vaccination status is not a HIPAA violation, despite prominent figures saying otherwise, by Jill McKeon, Xtelligent Healthcare Media (August 21, 2021) at https://healthitsecurity.com/news/common-misconceptions-about-hipaa-and-covid-19-vaccination-status.
Some healthcare workers at Ascension St. John said they're looking for new jobs after they said they were not allowed to opt out of the COVID-19 vaccine mandate.
In July, Ascension said it would require all employees get a vaccine by November or people would lose their jobs.
Many nurses and healthcare workers contacted News on 6, saying their exemption requests were denied and they feel they have no choice but to leave.
"I love helping people," said Rachael Parker. "I'm a people advocate."
That's why Parker went into nursing nearly 30 years ago. She was an ICU nurse for several years and most recently the stroke coordinator at Ascension Saint John.
"COVID is bad, I've been a patient myself," she said.
Ascension told all employees they must be fully vaccinated by November 12.
Parker said she has had two terrible reactions to vaccines in the past including kidney failure, so she requested a medical exemption.
"I have health issues that make me question taking the vaccine," she said. "I'm not negating it for anyone else."
Parker said it was denied, so she had no option but to quit.
"I had a lot of Ascension employees reach out to me," said Jeremy Strang.
Strang said he's also worked in healthcare for 30 years and helped many nurses request faith-based exemptions for the vaccine.
"I've done faith-based exceptions for 15 years from the flu vaccine," he said.
Several St. John nurses said their religious requests were denied and the company's response was they would cause "undue hardship to the organization" and "increased risk."
These nurses said it's a slap in the face after a year and a half on the frontlines and said patients are the ones who will truly suffer.
"This vaccine is never going to be a one size fits all," Parker said.
Ascension and Ascension St. John didn't respond to a media request before 4:30 p.m. Thursday.
Oklahoma's Attorney General said Thursday there is no rule currently in place that requires employers to mandate the vaccine. He said if a federal rule does go into place, his office will ask for an injunction.
First 500 eligible people to be vaccinated will receive $100 gift card
DECATUR, Ga.The DeKalb County Board of Health will host a COVID-19 vaccination event this Saturday, Oct. 16, to mark the conclusion of National Hispanic Heritage Month.
The Board of Health event, in partnership with the City of Doraville, DeKalb County Commissioners Robert Patrick (District 1) and Lorraine Cochran-Johnson (Super District 7), DeKalb County Government, Latin American Association (LAA) and Latino Community Fund Georgia (LCF Georgia), will be held at the Board of Healths existing vaccination site, located in the parking lot of the Doraville MARTA Transit Station, at 6000 New Peachtree Rd., in Doraville, from 11:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m.
Only 44% of Hispanic residents in DeKalb County have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine, said DeKalb County District Health Director Sandra Valenciano, M.D., M.P.H. Ensuring that we provide vaccine access to our community not only creates individual protection against COVID-19, but also safeguards family, friends, and those not yet eligible to receive the vaccine.
The first 500 eligible people to get a COVID-19 vaccination will receive at $100 gift card, provided by the City of Doraville and DeKalb County Commissioner Lorraine Cochran-Johnson. Johnson & Johnson, Moderna, and Pfizer vaccines will be offered.
Im elated to partner with the DeKalb County Board of Health and many of our community partners to expand access to COVID-19 vaccines in District 1 and the northern portion of DeKalb County, said DeKalb CountyDistrict 1 Commissioner Robert Patrick. Each vaccine administered brings us one step closer to returning to a sense of normalcy.
DeKalb County Super District 7 Commissioner Lorraine Cochran-Johnson echoed Patricks sentiments.
I am very excited and happy to lend my support to getting the vaccination rate up in our Latinx community. As we enter flu season, we are at a critical point in our fight to reach herd immunity.
COVID-19 vaccinations are provided at no cost. Those attending are asked to bring the following to Saturdays event:
Language barriers should not determine who gets a vaccine, said Doraville Mayor Joseph Geierman. This is a virus that doesnt care what color your skin is, where you were born, or what language you speak. We have a responsibility to do everything in our power to ensure everyone is equally protected. We must keep working until every DeKalb family has had the opportunity to protect themselves and their loved ones.
For more information and answers to frequently asked questions about the COVID-19 vaccine, visitdph.georgia.gov/covid-vaccineor call 888-357-0169. For event information, contact the DeKalb County Board of Health via e-mail atdekalb.covid19@dph.ga.govor call 404-294-3700.
Oct 14, 2021 5:54 PM EDT
ABC NEWS More booster shots could be on the way. An FDA advisory committee voted on Modernas booster dose Thursday.
ABCs Reena Roy has the latest.
When Jonathan Isaac, a prominent basketball player for the Orlando Magic, explained why he chose not to be vaccinated against the coronavirus, he tapped into a dispute that has been simmering for months: Do people who have had Covid-19, as Mr. Isaac said he has, really need the vaccine?
That question has thrust tortuous immunological concepts into a national debate on vaccine mandates, with politicians, athletes, law professors and psychiatrists weighing in on the relative strength of so-called natural immunity versus the protection afforded by vaccines.
But the answer, like nearly everything about the virus, is complicated.
While many people who have recovered from Covid-19 may emerge relatively unscathed from a second encounter with the virus, the strength and durability of their immunity depends on their age, health status and severity of initial infection.
Thats the thing with natural infection you can be on the very low end of that or very high end, depending on what kind of disease you developed, said Akiko Iwasaki, an immunologist at Yale University.
Those with powerful natural immunity may be protected from reinfection for up to a year. But even they should not skip the vaccine, experts said. For starters, boosting their immunity with a vaccine is likely to give them long-lasting protection against all the variants.
If youve gotten the infection and then youve been vaccinated, youve got superpowers, said Jennifer Gommerman, an immunologist at the University of Toronto.
Without that boost, antibodies from an infection will wane, leaving Covid-recovered people vulnerable to reinfection and mild illness with variants and perhaps liable to spread the virus to others.
This is the same argument for giving boosters to people who are fully vaccinated, said Michel Nussenzweig, an immunologist at Rockefeller University in New York. After a certain period of time, youre either going to get boosted or youre going to get infected, he said.
How immunity from infection and from vaccination compare is difficult to parse. Dozens of studies have delved into the debate, and have drawn contradictory conclusions.
Some consistent patterns have emerged: Two doses of an mRNA vaccine produce more antibodies, and more reliably, than an infection with the coronavirus does. But the antibodies from prior infection are more diverse, capable of fending off a wider range of variants, than those produced by vaccines.
Studies touting the durability and strength of natural immunity are hobbled by one crucial flaw. They are, by definition, assessing the responses only of people who survived Covid-19. The road to natural immunity is perilous and uncertain, Dr. Nussenzweig said.
Only 85 percent to 90 percent of people who test positive for the virus and recover have detectable antibodies to begin with. The strength and durability of the response is variable.
For example, while the immunity gained from vaccines and infection is comparable among younger people, two doses of the mRNA vaccines protected adults older than 65 better than a prior infection did.
Research published by Dr. Iwasakis team in May showed a stepwise increase in the level of antibodies with rising severity of infection. About 43 percent of recovered people had no detectable neutralizing antibodies the kind needed to prevent reinfection according to one study. The antibodies drop to undetectable levels after about two months in about 30 percent of people who recover.
Other researchers may find different results depending on the severity of illness in the participants, said Fikadu Tafesse, an immunologist at Oregon Health & Science University.
If your cohort is just only hospitalized individuals, I think the chance of having a detectable antibody is higher, Dr. Tafesse said.
Oct. 14, 2021, 6:25 p.m. ET
In terms of the quality of the antibodies, it makes sense that invasion by a live virus would produce a broader immune response than would injecting the single protein encoded in the vaccines, he and others said.
The virus would stimulate defenses in the nose and throat exactly where they are needed to prevent a second infection while the vaccines produce antibodies mainly in the blood.
That will give you an edge in terms of resisting a subsequent infection, Dr. Gommerman said.
Fragments of the virus may also persist in the body for weeks after infection, which gives the immune system more time to learn to fight it, while the proteins carried by the vaccine quickly exit the body.
Several studies have now shown that reinfections, at least with the earlier versions of the virus, are rare.
At the Cleveland Clinic, none of 1,359 health care workers who remained unvaccinated after having Covid-19 tested positive for the virus over many months, noted Dr. Nabin Shrestha, an infectious disease physician at the clinic.
But the findings must be interpreted with caution, he acknowledged. The clinic tested only people who were visibly ill, and may have missed reinfections that did not produce symptoms. The participants were 39 years old on average, so the results may not apply to older adults, who would be more likely to become infected again.
Most studies have also tracked people for only about a year, Dr. Shrestha noted. The important question is, how long does it protect, because were not under any illusions that this will be a lifelong protection, he said.
Its also unclear how well immunity after infection protects against the newer variants. Most studies ended before the Delta variant became dominant, and more recent research is patchy.
The State of Vaccine Mandates in the U.S.
The most widely cited study in favor of natural immunitys potency against the Delta variant comes from Israel.
Breakthrough infections after vaccination were 13-fold more likely than reinfections in unvaccinated people, and symptomatic breakthrough infections 27-fold more likely than symptomatic reinfections, the study found.
But experts cautioned against inferring from the results that natural immunity is superior to the protection from vaccines. The vaccinated group included many more people with conditions that would weaken their immune response, and they would be expected to have more breakthrough infections, noted Bill Hanage, an epidemiologist at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
The study also did not account for people whose immune defenses may have been strengthened by a second exposure to the virus.
For those lucky enough to have recovered from Covid-19, vaccination is still the ideal choice, experts said. It provides a massive boost in antibody levels and a near-impenetrable immune shield perhaps even against future variants.
They are like rock stars on all the variants, said Dr. Duane Wesemann, an immunologist at Harvard Medical School.
Colorful graphs from Dr. Wesemanns recent paper have been helpful for convincing Covid-recovered patients of the stark advantage even a single dose would offer them, he said.
Regardless of the evolving understanding of natural immunity, on one point there is near-universal agreement among scientists. For people who were never infected, vaccines are much safer, and far less a gamble, than Covid-19.
Many people who argue against vaccines cite the low mortality rates from Covid-19 among young people. But even seemingly mild cases of Covid-19 can result in long-term damage to the heart, kidneys and brain, or leave people feeling exhausted and unwell for weeks to months, Dr. Iwasaki said.
No one should try to acquire immunity through natural infection, she said. Its just too dangerous.
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Since its emergence toward the end of 2019, SARS-CoV-2 has spread around the world. Cases of COVID-19, which is the disease that SARS-CoV-2 causes, have officially been reported in almost every country as have deaths to the disease. To date, there have been more than 4.8 million confirmed deaths globally.
A small number of countries have reported no cases or deaths. One of these countries is Turkmenistan. The WHOs official statistics reflect the statistics provided by the countrys government.
However, reports from the country suggest that Turkmenistan has not miraculously escaped the effects of the pandemic. Like the countries it shares a border with, such as Iran and Afghanistan, it has experienced waves of infection despite the government denying this.
Stay informed with live updates on the current COVID-19 outbreak and visit our coronavirus hub for more advice on prevention and treatment.
Speaking with Medical News Today, Prof. Luca Anceschi a professor of Eurasian Studies at the University of Glasgow in the United Kingdom and an expert on Central Asia said that like in North Korea, the authoritarian government was attempting to uphold an image of ushering in a golden age for the country.
For the government, a global pandemic does not fit into this picture, so it denies it.
Turkmenistan and North Korea are similar in the sense of being very authoritarian regimes, run by people who have a very eccentric approach, said Prof. Anceschi. They are also extremely isolated states, using their borders as a control mechanism to stop the access of new ideas that could be destabilizing.
Like North Korea, in Turkmenistan, the government has control over the media, and on top of that, there is a particular narrative that the government has been putting out for the last 15 or 20 years about Turkmenistan living in this golden age, and the golden age is there because the government brought it with it.
That makes the eruption of a pandemic impossible [] because it would challenge this narrative. We have seen the same with [HIV] and [AIDS], which is another illness [that] was never publicly acknowledged in Turkmenistan. It is characteristic of this regime to hide these kinds of situations, said Prof. Anceschi.
This analysis was also backed up by Dr. Jason Klocek, an assistant professor in politics and international relations at the University of Nottingham in the U.K. and an expert on state repression. Dr. Klocek has also lived in Turkmenistan for 2 years.
Dr. Klocek told MNT that, [i]n many ways, the Turkmenistan governments denial of COVID-19 cases is in line with long standing policy.
For more than a decade, the government has also claimed there are no people living with [HIV or AIDS] in the country. And a series of outbreaks, including the bubonic plague, were reported by civil society organizations in the early 2000s but denied by government officials.
Add to this the fact that the current president, Gurbanguly Berdimuahamedow, has used the image of a healthy nation coupled with his previous dentistry career to bolster his legitimacy. Admitting there is a COVID-19 outbreak could undermine that authority, said Dr. Klocek.
According to Prof. Anceschi, the Turkmenistan governments denial of COVID-19 in the country has created difficult conditions for people living there.
It has been very difficult [for people living in the country] because Turkmenistan has had waves of infection, even last year.
Turkmenistan shares a border with Iran, which at one point was very significantly hit [by COVID-19], and with Afghanistan, which also has some problems. And, in general terms, all of Central Asia has infection rates as high as everywhere.
What is very difficult is the fact that there has been no considered effort to recognize this pandemic, which means no international cooperation. If public health is a human right, which it is, then thats a lot of human rights violation that the government has perpetrated.
So, what can you do? The government at the beginning was saying that [COVID-19] doesnt exist, and then it said it does exist but we have things like natural cures, and then, of course, people were dying.
What is incredible is [that the governments messaging] is very dissonant: On the one hand, you have the fact that the government does not accept the fact that there is a pandemic, and then on the other, you start to see guidance for use of masks, hand-washing, and compulsory vaccination. So, the idea is that they dont acknowledge the virus, but it is there.
Prof. Luca Anceschi
For Dr. Klocek, a key issue is the limited access to the country that makes getting detailed information on the COVID-19 situation difficult.
The number of infections and the scale of their consequences are difficult to assess from outside the country, said Dr. Klocek.
Reports from civil society groups both within and outside the country suggest that the number of infections remains high and [that] hospitals are currently overwhelmed with COVID-19 patients. Individual reports of [citizens with the infection] are starting to surface via various media outlets.
The Turkmenistan government has also recently imposed additional travel restrictions in areas of the country where a high number of people are exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms.
Sadly, and similar to past outbreaks in the country, the extent of those suffering on the ground may not be known until it is too late to act, added Dr. Klocek.
For Dr. Klocek, there has been too little focus on the situation in Turkmenistan from the international community.
The international community has been largely silent [regarding the governments claims]. There was a brief uptick in interest during the summer of 2020, when the WHO sent an observation team. But the visit was highly scripted, and the team could not confirm the presence of COVID-19 in the country.
[The team] did, however, express concern about increased cases of acute respiratory disease or pneumonia of unknown cause and advised the country to carry out measures as if there is coronavirus in the country.
A Turkish diplomat also died of an illness with coronavirus-like symptoms in July 2020, but Turkish authorities remained silent on the matter, including the Turkmenistan governments refusal to let the diplomat return to Turkey for treatment.
Since the summer of 2020, relatively little attention [had been] paid to the situation in Turkmenistan until the WHOs regional director for Europe, [Dr.] Hans Kluge, traveled to Ashgabat this month.
A number of civil society organizations have tried to use the recent visit to put pressure on the WHO to make a formal statement about the situation in Turkmenistan. They are still waiting for a reply, noted Dr. Klocek.
Prof. Anceschi said that the WHO had a responsibility to not simply repeat the governments claims that there have been no cases of COVID-19 or related deaths.
The WHO is as guilty as the regime. I understand that we live in the real world and you need to maintain access to a regime as intractable as Turkmenistan. However, as the WHO, you cant just pretend that nothing is happening. Being cooperative with the regime means no one is safe.
The thing that is surprising is the totally pro-government line we got from the WHO. I tried to contact the WHO. They never replied. Other colleagues have had the same experience.
As I understand, in prior epidemic contexts the avian flu or SARS-CoV-1 [the WHO] would get back to you within 1 hour. They have been totally uncooperative with disseminating the truth.
The problem is that when you create a context in which this information [is] false, you have a further disservice: On top of not providing access to human rights in terms of public health, you also disseminate fake news. And [the WHO is] guilty of this. No one believes that Turkmenistan does not have COVID-19.
Now [] the government is making vaccination compulsory [and] running a campaign about washing your hands what more do the WHO need to say there is a problem in Turkmenistan?
This consistent policy of sticking to the government line when the government is corrupt and has a tradition for disseminating fake data I dont understand why the WHO keeps being like this. Its a very big credibility hit, argued Prof. Anceschi.
On October 8, 2021, the government of Turkmenistan hosted an international forum on infectious disease control and health diplomacy. In it, the WHOs Dr. Kluge said:
The COVID-19 pandemic has shown unequivocally the fundamental importance of health for worldwide prosperity and security. There is a demonstrable need to rethink global governance structures, the relationship between the private and public sectors, and the values upon which our nations and societies operate.
Dr. Kluge also stressed the importance of transparent communication, met with Turkmenistan government officials, and introduced the new WHO representative to Turkmenistan, Dr. Egor Zaitsev, to national officials. According to the WHOs official page, the meeting explored further opportunities to strengthen the collaboration between the WHO and Turkmenistan.
For live updates on the latest developments regarding the novel coronavirus and COVID-19, click here.
Texas lawmakers face a tight schedule as they consider a bill that would enshrine Gov. Greg Abbott's ban on vaccine mandates into state law. The legislature is currently in its third special session, which expires next week. Tamir Kalifa/Getty Images hide caption
Texas lawmakers face a tight schedule as they consider a bill that would enshrine Gov. Greg Abbott's ban on vaccine mandates into state law. The legislature is currently in its third special session, which expires next week.
Texas lawmakers are considering legislation that would give workers legal grounds to refuse COVID-19 vaccine mandates for "reasons of conscience" and to sue their employers if they don't agree. The measure would codify Gov. Greg Abbott's ban on vaccine mandates into state law.
"The bill would let employees opt out of vaccine requirements by their employers for medical reasons or on grounds of personal conscience," Andrew Schneider of Houston Public Media reports for the NPR Newscast.
"Opponents of the bill, including some business groups, fear it would unleash a torrent of lawsuits against private employers."
The measure would also apply to workers who have "acquired immunity against COVID-19" because they've previously been infected and recovered from the disease. It doesn't detail how those workers might prove their immune status.
As it currently reads, the bill would allow workers who are fired or otherwise sidelined to file suit against their employers "as if the establishment engaged in a discriminatory or unlawful employment practice."
Those workers could ask a court to prevent their firing, or to award compensatory or punitive damages.
The bill, HB 155, has 24 sponsors, all Republicans. It's currently in the House State Affairs Committee, which held more than four hours of testimony on it Wednesday.
State Rep. Tom Oliverson, the bill's main author, is a practicing anesthesiologist who has been vaccinated against COVID-19.
"I was one of the first to line up when it became available at my health care facility," he told the House committee.
But Oliverson also said he doesn't believe public health mandates are very effective. He also said HB 155 conforms to the concept of patient autonomy which he said is at the foundation of medical ethics in the U.S.
"That is the idea that a patient of sound mind and body has the right to accept or refuse medical advice and treatment" regardless of what medical expertise has to say on the matter, Oliverson said.
Oliverson discussed the bill just 48 hours after Abbott called on lawmakers to pass a version of his recent order that bans any entity, including private businesses, from enforcing a COVID-19 vaccine mandate in Texas.
Abbott's state order positions the governor as a highly visible challenger to President Biden's federal mandate that requires any business with 100 or more employees to impose either a mandate vaccine or weekly coronavirus testing. The competing positions have also forced companies to choose which order they will follow and several large employers in Texas have sided with the federal order.
Southwest Airlines, American Airlines and IBM and other companies have said they will abide by Biden's order, saying Biden's federal authority outweighs Abbott's powers.
Abbott's order also faces other hurdles. As Houston Public Media reports, Texas could be heading for a court battle with the federal government over the ban. And with a third special session of the legislature set to expire next week, lawmakers may not have enough time to enshrine a ban on vaccine mandates into state law.
By staking out a hard line against Biden, Abbott seems to be responding to political pressures within his own party, analysts tell HPM. The governor is contending with weak support in early polls ahead of next spring's Republican primary.
