Larry Gostin Mandates May Be The Only Way Out of This

Published: Sept. 2, 2021, 1:24 p.m.

b'Professor Larry Gostin joined us for a spirited conversation of where America as a country stands today, almost two years into Covid-19. Human ingenuity and scientific gains have been \\u201castounding,\\u201d\\xa0while our preparedness, in the face of such a \\u201cwily enemy,\\u201d has too often been \\u201cabysmal.\\u201d\\xa0We experienced shock when the first wave that began in Wuhan landed at our shores, CDC bungled tests, the Trump administration stoked anti-Asian hatred and politicized essential tools \\u2013 masks, vaccines, and temporary lockdowns. Public health messaging too often has been \\u201cappalling," as CDC\\u2019s scientific leadership has stumbled.\\xa0Now, in late 2021, we face the danger of dividing our society into two opposing camps, the vaccinated versus the unvaccinated. The Biden administration has refused to take up vaccine credentialing, a significant mistake. It has also shown remarkable leadership in trying to overcome vaccine hesitancy and refusal, and now must turn increasingly to mandates.\\n\\xa0\\nLarry Gostin is University Professor and Director of the O\\u2019Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law at Georgetown Law.'