Millions of Americans face new vaccine mandate that starts in January

Millions of Americans face new vaccine mandate that starts in January

FILE - In this Oct. 21, 2020, file photo, an Exam Corp Lab employee, right, wears a mask as she talks with a patient lined up for COVID-19 testing in Niles, Ill. Millions of U.S. workers now have a Jan. 4 deadline to get a COVID vaccine. The federal government on Thursday, Nov. 4, 2021 announced new vaccine requirements for workers at companies with more than 100 employees as well as workers at health care facilities that treat Medicare and Medicaid patients. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, File)

(AP) — Tens of millions of Americans at companies with 100 or more employees will need to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by Jan. 4 — or have to submit to testing each week. The new rules — which could affect about 84 million workers at medium and large businesses — were made public yesterday. It’s the boldest move yet by the Biden administration to get Americans who have resisted to finally get a vaccine that’s been available for months now. If successful, administration officials believe it will go a long way toward ending a pandemic that has killed more than 750,000 Americans.

FILE – In this Oct. 21, 2020, file photo, an Exam Corp Lab employee, right, wears a mask as she talks with a patient lined up for COVID-19 testing in Niles, Ill. Millions of U.S. workers now have a Jan. 4 deadline to get a COVID vaccine. The federal government on Thursday, Nov. 4, 2021 announced new vaccine requirements for workers at companies with more than 100 employees as well as workers at health care facilities that treat Medicare and Medicaid patients. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, File)