A while back, Houston Methodist hospital gave its 26,000 employees an ultimatum: Get vaccinated or get a new job. All but 100 or so workers complied and, now, hospital leaders are reporting a nearly 100% vaccination rate.

Clearly, the mandate worked for one hospital, but what about others institutions? Recent weeks have brought on several high-profile vaccine mandates from private employers like United Airlines, Google and Facebook, as well as government institutions like the VA and the U.S. military. But will these vaccine mandates help slow the raging Delta variant in the areas of the country being hit hardest?

In this episode of Coronavirus: The Truth, Jeremy Corr and Dr. Robert Pearl discuss this burning question along with the following hot topics:

[01:00] Each show begins with the most recent and relevant facts concerning the Covid-19 pandemic and its impact on American life. What’s happening and what does it mean?

[04:09] Why did President Biden call for booster shots?

[09:36] Listener question: “I had been ill with Covid-19, but am fully recovered now. I am worried about getting vaccinated. What would you recommend?”

[11:10] How are parents reacting now that school is back in session?

[13:34] What to make of mask mandates in various states?

[16:03] How dangerous is the Delta variant compared to other Covid-19 mutations and possible vaccine complications?

[21:04] Following Pearl’s Forbes article on mask/vaccine mandates (which has over 300,000 readers) do we have more info on the legality of mandates?

[23:14] Why are Covid-19 cases are spiking among kids?

[24:26] Are we destined to return to virtual education?

[26:05] What’s good this week?

[29:33] What’s this episode’s big non-Covid story?

[32:47] In places that vote Republican, you might imagine people would encourage vaccination to protect the economy. Why haven’t they?

[36:46] Listener questions (from a physician): Are there any statistical models to calculate the continuing risk of novel pathogenic Covid-19 variants? Is there evidence that these variants can arise among the vaccinated part of the population? And can herd immunity be achieved if those who are vaccinated can harbor the virus?

This episode is available on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify and other podcast platforms.

If you have coronavirus questions for the hosts, please visit the contact page or send us a message on Twitter or LinkedIn.

*To ensure the credibility of this program, Coronavirus: The Truth refuses to accept sponsorship, outside funding sources or guests with any financial or personal conflicts of interest.

The post CTT #45: Do vaccine mandates actually work? appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.